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JERSEY. 


THE 


DISEASES  OF  LIVE  S 


m 


AND  THEIR  MOST  EFFICIENT  REMEDIES 


INCLUDING 


HORSES,  CATTLE,  COWS,  SHEEP,  SWINE, 
FOWLS,  DOGS,  ETC. 


A  POPULAR  TREATISE,  GIVING  IN  BRIEF  AND   PLAIN   LANGUAGE  A  DESCRIP- 
TION OF  ALL  THE   USUAL   DISEASES  TO  WHICH  THESE  ANIMALS  ARE 
LIABLE,    AND    THE   MOST     SUCCESSFUL    TREATMENT   OF 
AMERICAN,    ENGLISH    AND    EUROPEAN 
VETERINARIANS. 


WILLIAM  B.  E.  MILLER,  D.V.S., 

PRESIDENT   OF  THE   UNITED  STATES   VETERINARY   ASSOCIATION  ;  CHIEF   VETERINARY   SURGECN 

OF  THE   NEW   JERSEY   STATE  BOARD   OF   HEALTH  ;    ONE  OF   THE   VETERINARIANS   OF 

THE   BUREAU   OF  ANIMAL   INDUSTRY,    DEPARTMENT  OF  AGBICULTUKE, 

WASHINGTON,   ETC.,   ETC. 


AND 


LLOYD  y.  TELLOR,  M.D. 


•  lO 

PHILADELPHIA:      ^-    " 
H.  C.  WATTS  &  CO,  PUBLISHEES, 

No.  17  NORTH  SIXTH  STREET. 
1885. 


00 


'^#*^  OP 
^      OUPLIl.'E 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1885,  by 

D.  G.  BRINTON, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

ALL   RIGHTS    RESERVED. 


Press  of  WM.  F.  FELL  &  CO. 
1220-1224  Sansom  St..  Phila. 


PREFACE. 


The  authors  of  this  book  have  endeavored  to  place  be- 
fore the  public  a  work  embodying  all  the  principal  diseases 
incident  to  live  stock,  together  with  the  most  prominent 
symptoms  and  rational  modes  of  treatment. 

It  is  especially  designed  to  meet  the  necessities  of  a  large 
class  of  farmers  and  stock  owners,  who,  by  the  force  of  cir- 
cumstances, are  compelled  to  treat  their  own  animals  when 
sick  or  disabled.  It  will  also  prove  a  valuable  handbook 
for  the  young  practitioner  and  a  desirable  acquisition  to  the 
library  of  the  veterinary  surgeon.  It  is  full  of  useful  in- 
struction, systematically  arranged  in  a  clear  and  comprehen- 
sive manner.  The  many  diseases  are  distinctly  and  accu- 
rately defined,  and  the  symptoms  so  clearly  described  that 
they  should  be  easily  recognized.  The  remedies  recom- 
mended, and  the  methods  of  treatment  prescribed,  are  safe 
and  reliable,  and,  if  administered  in  accordance  with  the 
instructions  given,  will  generally  be  productive  of  good 
results.  The  illustrations  of  the  devices  and  appliances  for 
surgical  operations  and  treatment  are  modern  and  simple, 
and  the  articles  therein  suggested  are  easily  applied  by  all 
stock  owners. 


268444 


CONTENTS. 


PART    I, 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  VETERINARY 
MEDICINE. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE. 

REMARKS  ON  THE  ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY  OF  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS. 

The  Brain  and  Nervous  System ;  The  Organs  of  Breathing ;  The 
Organs  of  Digestion  ;  The  Heart,  Blood  Vessels  and  Alosorb- 
euts ;  The  Kidneys  and  Sex  Organs ;  The  Reproductive  Acts,         17 

CHAPTER  II. 

NURSING,  CARE  AND  DIET  OF  SICK  ANIMALS. 

Separation  and  Stabling  ;  Disinfection  ;  Rest  and  Sleep  ;  Cleans- 
ing and  Dressing  j  Position,  Slings  and  Cradles  j  Food  and 
Drink  ;  Special  Diet  Preparations,  ...  27 

CHAPTER  III. 

FORMS  OF  MEDICI^^ES,  AND  METHODS  OF  THEIR  ADMINISTRATION. 

List  of  Forms  and  Methods ;  Medication  by  the  Mouth ;  Injec- 
tions into  the  Nose  ;  Medication  by  the  Rectum  and  Vagina  ; 
Medication  by  the  Blood  Vessels ;  External  Methods  of  Medi- 
cation ;  Weights  and  Measures,  and  their  Domestic  Equiva- 
lents ,  .  .  88 


6  Contents. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

TETERIXART    SURGICAL    INSTRUMENTS    AND    MINOR  SURGICAL  OPERATIONS. 

The  Veterinary  Pocket  Case  and  its  Contents  ;  Preparations  for 
Operating  ;  Bleeding  ;  Setons  ;  Firing ;  Sutures ;  Operations 
on  tlie  Teeth ;  Blistering,     .  ,  -  ,  .  58 

CHAPTER  V. 

GENERAL  RULES  FOR  RECOGNIZING  AND  DISTINGUISHING  DISEASES. 

The  Pulse ;  The  Breathing ;  The  Animal  Heat ;  The  Skin  and 
Hair  ;  The  Posture  ;  Indications  of  Pain  ;  Special  Signs*  in 
Cattle  J  Signs  of  Diseases  of  Particular  Organs,     .  .  71 

PART    II. 


THE  DISEASES  OF  THE  HORSE. 


General  Remarks  on  the  Diseases  of  the  Horse,  .  .  81 


CHAPTER  I. 


DISEASES    OF   THE   BRAIN   AND    NERVOUS    SYSTEM. 


Congestion  and  Inflammation  of  the  Brain;  Phrenitis ;  Mad, 
Blind  or  Sleepy  Staggers,,    ..... 

Cerebro-spinal  Meningitis,  ..... 

Convulsive  Diseases  or  Fits ;  Apoplexy ;  Epilepsy  5  Falling  Sick- 
ness ;  St.  Vitus'  Dance  or  Stringhalt, 

Megrims ;  Vertigo ;  Giddiness,  ...» 

Sunstroke,  ,.....• 


87 
89 

90 


Contents,  7 

PAGE. 

Paralysis  or  Palsy,  ......  94 

Tetanus  or  Lockjaw,        ......  96 

Hydrophobia,       .......  98 


CHAPTER  II. 

DISEASES    OF   THE   BREATHING   ORGAXS. 

Cautions  in  Treating  Diseases  of  the  Breathing  Organs,  .  100 

Cold  in  the  Head  ;  Catarrh,         .....  102 

Nasal  Gleet ;  Running  from  the  Nose,                .             .  .  103 

Cold  in  the  Chest ;  Bronchitis  ;  Chronic  Cough,            .  .  105 

Influenza  ;    The  Epizootic  ;    Contagious  Catarrhal  Fever ;  Pink 

Eye,                ...                        ...  109 

Sore  Throat;  Laryngitis;  Pharyngitis,               .             .  .  112 

Inflammation  of  the  Lungs  ;  Lung  Fever;  Pneumonia,  .  113 

Pleurisy,  .             .             .             .             .             .             .  .116 

Heaves;  Broken  Wind ;  Emphysematous  Asthma,        .  .  119 

Roaring ;  High  Blowing ;  Thick  Wind  ;  Whistling,      .  .  120 


CHAPTER  III. 

DISEASES    OF   THE    ORGANS   OF   DIGESTION. 

General  Remarks  on  Diseases  of  the  Digestive  Organs,    •         .  123 
Local  Inflammation  in  and  around  the  Mouth  ;  Lampas  ;  Vives  ; 
Barbs  and  Paps ;    Tender  and  Bleeding   Gums ;    Decayed 
Teeth ;  Tooth  Cough,           .            .            .            .            .124 

Indigestion  and  Dyspepsia,  .  .  .  .  .128 

Cribbing ;  Crib-biting ;  Wind-sucking,                .             .             .  130 

Colic ;  The  Gripes,           ......  131 

Tympany  ;  Flatulent  Colic  ;  Tympanites  ;  Swollen  Belly,         .  134 

Constipation ;  Costiveness,           .....  136 

Diarrhea ;  Scouring,        ......  137 

Inflammation  of  the  Bowels ;  Enteritis,               .             .             .  110 

Dysentery  ;  Bloody  Flux  ;  Colitis,          ....  143 

Congestion  and  Inflammation  of  the  Liver  ;  Hepatitis  ;  Jaundice  ; 

The  Yellows,             ......  146 

Intestinal  Worms,             ......  148 

The  Bots,             .......  150 


8  Contents, 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

DISEASES    OF   THE   HEART,  BLOOD  VESSELS  AXD  ABSORBENTS. 

Palpitation  ;  Violent  Heart  Beat ;  Thumps,     .             .             .  152 

Enlargement  or  Hypertrophy  of  the  Heart,      .             .             .  153 

Fatty  Degeneration  of  the  Heart,          ....  154 

Aneurism ;  Enlargement  of  the  Arteries,          .             .             .  155 

Inflammation  of  the  Jugular  Vein  ;  Phlebitis,               .             .  156 
Inflammation  of  the  Absorbent  Vessels  ;  Lymphangitis  ;  Weed  ; 

Shot  of  Grease,       ......  156 

CHAPTER  V. 

DISEASES    OF   THE   KIDXEYS,  BLADDER   AND    SEX    ORGANS. 

Inflammation  of  the  Kidneys,                 ....  159 

Inflammation  of  the  Bladder,                 ....  160 

Stone  in  the  Bladder  ;  Gravel,                ....  161 

Retention    or  Suppression    of   Urine  ;  Strangury ;    Difficult  or 

Painful  Staleing,     ......  162 

Diabetes ;  Profuse  Staleing,      .....  164 

Black  Water  in  Horses  ;  Hsematuria  ;  Azoturia,          .             .  165 
Diseases  of  the  Sex  Organs ;  Contraction  of  the  Sheath ;  Ex- 
ternal Inflammation  of  the  Yard  ;  Internal  Inflammation  of 
the  Yard  j  Inflammation  of  the  Vagina,                 .             .  166 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GENERAL  DISEASES,  AND  DISEASES  OF  THE  BLOOD. 

Glanders,             .             .             .             .       •     .             .             .  170 

Farcy ;  Bud  Farcy  ;  Button  Farcy,       ....  173 

Charbon    in     the    Horse  j     Purpura   Hemorrhagica  ;    Spotted 

Fever,          .......  175 

Rheumatism,      .             .             .             .             .             .             .  178 

Strangles ;  Colt  Distemper,        .....  181 

Erysipelas;  St.  Anthony's  Fire,            ."            .             .             .  185 

Dropsy;  Ascites,            .            .            .            .            .            ..  136 


Contents, 


PAGE. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  FOOT  OF  THE  HORSE. 

Structure  of  the  Foot  of  the  Horse,  •     .             .             .             .  189 

Lameness  in  the  Horse  ;  How  to  Detect  Lameness ;  How  to  As- 
certain the  Cause  of  the  Lameness,            .             .             .  192 
Inflammation  of  the  Feet;  Laminitis;  Founder;  Fever  in  the 

Feet,            .......  197 

Corns,     ........  201 

Thrush  or  Frush  of  the  Frog,                 ....  202 

Canker,               .......  202 

Punctured  Wounds  of  the  Feet ;  Prickings  ;  Gathered  Nails,  204 

Sand  Crack,        .......  205 

False  Quarter,    .......  206 

Quittor;    Fistula     of    the     Coronet;    Fibre- Chondritis     of    the 

Foot, 207 

Navicular  Disease  ;  Grogginess  ;  Contraction  of  the  Foot,     .  209 
Scratches;     Mud   Fever  ;  Cracked  Heels  ;     Erythema  of  the 

Heels,          .......  211 

Grease  ;  Eczema  of  the  Heels,              ....  212 

CHAPTER  Vm. 

DISEASES    OF   THE   LEG. 

Inflammation  of  the  Bones,         .....  215 

Sore  Shins  ;  Inflammation  of  the  Metacarpal  Bones,     .             .'  215 

Splints  or  Splents,            ......  21G 

Ring  Bones,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .217 

Bog  Spavin  ;  Blood  Spavin  ;  Inflammation  of  the  Hock  Joint,  218 

Bone  Spavin,        .             .             .             .             .             .             .  219 

Thorough-pin,      .......  221 

Capped  Hock,      .......  222 

Side  Bones,          .......  222 

CHAPTER  IX. 

WOUNDS    AND   INJURIES,    AND   THEIR   RESULTS. 

The  General  Treatment  of  "Wounds  ;  To  Check  Bleeding ;  Clean- 
ing the  Wound  ;  Restoring  the  Position  of  the  Parts  ;  To  Pre- 
vent Inflammation,    ......  224 


10  Contents, 


PAGE. 

Sprains  or  Strains,            ...,».  228 
Strains  of  the  Shoulder  and  Leg ;  Rheumatic  Joint ;  Sprain  of  the 
Flexor  Muscles  ;  Shoulder  Slip  ;  Sprain  of  the  Back  Sinews, 

or  Flexor  Tendons,  ......  230 

Injuries  of  the  Foot  and  Lower  Leg;    Interfering;    Overreach; 

Tread,  or  Calking  ;  Speedy  Cut ;  Brushing,            ,.            .  232 

Wounds  of  the  Knees ;  Broken  Knees,                .             .             .  233 

Elbow  Sprain  ;  Elbow  Lameness,            ....  234 

Breaking  Down  ;  Strain  or  Rupture  of  the  Suspensory  Ligaments,  235 

^yind-galls,            .......  235 

Curb;  Sprain  of  the  Calcaneo-cuboid  Ligaments,           .             .  236 

Poll  Evil,              .......  237 

Fistulous  Withers,             .             .             .             .             .             .  238 

Rotten  Bone  ;  Necrosis  and  Caries  of  Bones,     .             .             .  239 

Frostbite,               .             .             .             .             .             ...  241 

Burns  and  Scalds,             ......  242 

Stings  and  Bites,  .  .   •         .  .  .  .243 

Hernia ;  Rupture  ;  Burst,            .....  244 

Choking,               ,             ......  245 


CHAPTER  X. 

DISEASES    OF   THE    ETES. 

Inflammation  of  the  Eyes ;  Conjunctivitis,  .  ,  .  248 

Periodic'  Ojjhthalmia ;  Moon  Blindness,  .  .  .  249 

White  Spot ;  Eye  Spot ;  Albugo,  .       '      .  .  .  251 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DISEASES    OF   THE    SKIN 


Ringworm,  .... 

Nettle  Rash  ;  Surfeit ;  Urticaria, 
Moist  Tetter  ;  Humid  Tetter ;  Eczema, 
Mallenders  and   Sallenders;    Psoriasis   of  the 

Tarsus,  .... 

Warbles;  Grubs;  Sitfasts, 
Mange ;  Itch,       .  .  .  / 

Lice,         .  .  .  .1 


Carpus   and    the 


252 
254 
254 

256 

257 
253 
260 


Contents,  1 1 

PART    III. 


DISEASES  OF  CATTLE,  SHEEP  AND  SWINE. 


IXTRODUCTORT. 

PAGE. 

General  Remarks  on  the  Diseases  of  Cattle,  and  their  Treat- 
ment, .......  263 

Peculiarities  of  the  Action  of  Medicines  on  Cattle,        .  -  266 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  CONTAGIOUS  OR  EPIDEMIC  DISEASES  OF  CATTLE. 

The  Cattle  Plague ;    Rinderpest ;    Contagious  Enteric  Fever  of 

Cattle, 268 

Pleuro-Pneumonia;    Contagious  Lung  Fever,                  .             .  27G 
Foot  and  Mouth  Disease;.  Epizootic  Aphtha3  j    Contagious  Ec- 
zema,            .......  274 

Charbon  ;     Black   Quarter  ;    Quarter  111 ;    Contagious  Anthrax  ; 

Bloody  Murrain,        ......  276 

Splenic  Fever ;    Texas  Cattle  Disease  ;    Spanish  Fever,             .  281 

Cow-pox ;    Smallpox  of  Cattle ;    Variola  Vaccina,         .             .  284 


CHAPTER  11. 

KON-COXTAGIOUS  AND  LOCAL  DISEASES  OP  CATTLE. 

Catarrh  ;    Colds  ;    Coughs  ;    Snores ;    Snivels,  .  .  285 

Consumption  ;    Wasting ;  Pining,  ....  287 

Hollow  Horn  ;    Horn-ail ;  Annsmia  of  Cattle,    .  .  .  289 

Hoveu  ;  Blown;  Impaction  of  the  Rumen  or  First  Stomach,  .  291 
Fardel-bound  ;    Maw-bouhd  ;    Stomach  Staggers  ;    Impaction  of 

the  Omasum  or  Third    Stomach ;    Gastritis    of  Ruminants ; 

Lakeburn,     . 293 


12 


Contents. 


Obstruction  of  the  Bowels,  .... 

Congestion  and  Inflammation  of  the  Liver  ;    The  Yellows, 

Eed  Water  ;  Black  Water  ;    Bloody  Urine, 

Dysentery  ;    Bloody  Flux  ;    Scouring  Rot, 

Milk  Sickness  ;    The  Trembles, 

Rheumatism ;   Felon, 

Foul  in  the  Foot ;    Foul  Claw,    . 

Lice,  Ticks  and  other  Vermin,  .     . 


PAGE. 

297 
298 
300 
302 
304 
306 
308 
310 


CHAPTER  III. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  COW  IN"  PREGNANCY  AND  CAI^YING 

Barrenness  or  Sterility,  ..... 

Abortion  ;    Slinking  ;    Slipping  ;    Dropping  the  Calf,    . 

Calving  or  Parturition ;  Rigid  Neck  of  the  Womb  ;  Bending  of 

the  Neck  of  the  Womb, 
Unnatural  Positions  of  the  Calf, 
Flooding, 

Retained  After-birth, 
Inversion   of  the  Womb, 
Medical  Treatment  of  Calving, 
Management  of  the   Milk ;  To   Dry  the  Milk ;  To  Bring  on  or 

Increase  the  Milk  ;  To  Correct  Bloody  and  Blue  Milk,      . 
Milk  Fever;    Puerperal   Fever;    Parturient  Fever;   Parturient 

Apoplexy;  Inflammation  of  the  Womb, 
Garget ;  Caked  Bag ;  Mammitis,  .... 


313 
315 

318 
320 
322 
323 
323 
325 

327 

329 
333 


CHAPTER  IV. 


DISEASES    OF   CALVES. 

First  Attentions,  .... 

Diarrhea  or  Scouring,      .... 

Epidemic  Colic;  The  Shoote  or  Shewte  of  Blood, 
Croup,       ...... 

The  Husk  or  Hoose ;  Parasitic  Bronchitis, 


336 

336 
338 
338. 
839 


Contents. 
CHAPTER  V. 


13 


DISEASES    OF   SHEEP. 

General  Remarks  on  Diseases  of  Sheep,  and  their  Treatment, 

Braxy  ;  Striking  of  the  Blood  ;  Charbon  in  Sheep, 

Sheep  Smallpox  ;  Variola  Ovina, 

Louping  111 ;    Thorter  111 ;  The  Gnaw  Disease, 

Malignant  Epizootic  Catarrh  ;  The  Sheep  Distemper, 

Colic  ;   Blown  ;  Blast ;  Wind  Dropsy,    . 

Red  Water ;  Hematuria, 

Hoof  Rot;  Foot  Rot,      .... 

Foul  in  the  Foot,  .... 

Stone  in  the  Bladder,       .... 

Lambing  in  the  Ewe  ;   Heaving  Pains  ;   Milk  Fever  ;   Garget 

Rheumatism  of  Lambs,    .... 

Constipation  in  Lambs,    .... 

Diarrhea  in  Lambs,  .... 

Turnsick  ;  Sturdy  ;   Gid  ;   Hydatid  of  the  Brain, 

Sheep  Bots  ;   Grubs  in  the  Head  ;  Head  Maggots, 

Lung  Worms  ;   The  Hoose  in  Lambs  ;   White  Skin  ;  Paper  Sk 

Pelt  Rot ;   The  Pale  Disease, 
The  Rot ;  The  Liver  Fluke, 
Intestinal  Worms,  .... 

The  Scab  ;  The  Mange  or  Itch  in  Sheep, 


341 

o-to 

347 
349. 
351 
353 
354 
355 
360 
361 
362 
365 
368 
368 
371 
374 

375 
379 
382 
383 


CHAPTER  YI. 

DISEASES    OF    SWIXE. 

General  Remarks  on  Diseases  of  Swine,  .  .  .  388 

Hog  Cholera,  so-called,  and  its  Varieties,  .  .  .  389 

Charbon  in  Swine  ;   Malignant  Anthrax  ;    Carbuncular  Disease  ; 

White  Bristle,  ......  390 

Contagious  Pueumo-enteritis ;  Red  Soldier;  The  Blue  Disease: 

Purples, 393 

Malignant  Epizootic  Catarrh,      .....  400 

Apoplexy  and  Staggers,  .....  403 

Coughs,  Colds,  Quinsy,  and  Inflammation  of  the  Lungs,  .  404 

Diarrheal  Diseases ;  Scours,       .  ,  ,  ,  .  406 


14 


Contents, 


Ague  Cake  ;  Milt  Swelling ;  Splenitis, 
Leprosy,  .  ... 

Trichinosis,         ...... 

Hydatids  of  the  Kidneys  ;  Kidney  Worms  ;  Lard  Worms, 

Measles,  .  . 

The  Mange,  Itch,  or  Scab.         .... 

Lice.       ....... 


Page 
407 
40S 
4U9 
410 
411 
412 
413 


CHAPTER  VIL 

DISEASES    OF   DOGS. 

General  Remarks  on  Diseases  cf  Dogs  and  their  Treatment. 

Colic, 

Costiveness, 

Diarrhoea  and  Dysentery. 

Distemper, 

Mange,    . 

Canker  of  the  Ear, 

Inflammation  of  the  Eves. 

Fleas  and  Lice, 


415 
416 
417 
418 
420 
422 
423 
424 
425 


CHAPTER  Tin. 

DISEASES    OF   F0"WLS. 


General  Remarks, 

Diarrhoea, 

Fowl  Cholera,     . 

The  Gapes, 

The  Roup, 

Leg  Weakness  and  Loss  of  Feathers, 

Chicken  Lice  and  Fleas, 


426 
427 
428 
430 
431 
432 
432 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   PROFIIABLE    MAXAGEMEXT    OF   LITE    STOCK. 


The  Cow.     The  Best  Breeds.    . 
The  Dutch,  Friesian  or  Holsteins, 
The  Shorthorns, 
The  Devons ;  The  Ayrshires,    . 


435 

435 
437 
439 


Contents. 


15 


The  Jerseys, 

The  Guernseys, 

The  Herefords  ;  The  Galloways  ;  The  Kerry s 

Swiss  Cattle  ;  What  Farmers  Want, 

How  to  Choose  a  Good  Cow, 

Guenon's  Method, 

The  Art  of  Feeding  Cows, 

The  Art  of  Milking, 

Points  in  Cows, 

Stall  Feeding  Cattle,      . 

Horse  Points,     . 

The  Sanitary  Management  of  Live  Stock, 


PAGE 

441 
443 
444 
445 
446 
418 
449 
451 
452 
454 
455 
457 


PART  IV. 


HYGIENE  AND   MEDICINES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HYGIE^'E   OF  THE    HORSE,    AND    OF    FATTENING. 

Hygiene  of  the  Horse,    .            .            . 

468 

Condition  Powders,        .... 

470 

Disinfection,        ..... 

473 

Hygienic  Rules  for  Fattening  Animals, 

475 

Cattle  Powders  and  Condimental  Food, 

476 

Diets  for  Fattening,        .... 

477 

CHAPTER  II. 

POISONS   AND  THE   TREATMENT  OF  POISONING. 

General  Rules  for  the  Treatment  of  Poisoning,  .  479 

Vegetable  Poisons ;  Aloes ;  Castor  and  Croton  Seeds  ;  Diseased 
and  Spoiled  Foods ;  Eupatorium  ;  Hellebore  ;  Laure  1  ;  Poi- 
sonous Mushrooms;  Opium;  Ranunculus;  Savin  ;  St. 
John's  Wort;  Tobacco;  Turpentine;  Stramonium,         ,  480 


16  Contents. 

PAGE 

Mineral  and  Chemical  Poisons ;  Acids  ;  Alkalies ;  Alcohol ; 
Arsenic  ;  Brine  ;  Corrosive  Sublimate  ;  Creasote ;  Lead  ; 
Mercury ;  Strychnine ;  Tartar  Emetic,      .  .  .  483 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  MORE  IMPORTANT  DRUGS   AND   MEDICINES   USED   FOR  ANIMALS. 

Alphabetical  List  of  the  Most  Usefal  Drugs,  with  their  Doses, 

Forms  of  Administration  and  Formulas,    .  .  .  488 

Classified  List  of  Drugs,  according  to  their  Action  on  the  System, 

with  Explanations,  .....  505 

Index,     ,......•  511 


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PART  I. 


General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 


CHAPTER  I. 

REMAKKS    ON    THE    ANATOMY    AND    PHYSIOLOGY    OF 
DOMESTIC   ANIMALS. 

The  Brain  and  Nervous  System — The  Organs  of  Breathing — 
The  Organs  of  Digestion — The  Heart j  Blood-vessels  and 
Absorbents — The  Kidneys  and  Sex  Organs — The  Repro- 
ductive Acts, 

When  one  undertakes  to  repair  a  machine  he  should  know 
something  about  its  construction;  and  in  like  manner  an 
acquaintance  with  anatomy  and  physiology  is  justly  deemed 
necessary  to  the  proper  treatment  of  diseases. 

It  is  not,  however,  our  purpose  to  enter  into  those  abstruse 
sciences  to  any  great  extent ;  but  it  will  be  profitable  to  con- 
sider in  broad  outlines,  and  in  language  free  from  technicali- 
ties,  the  structure  and  functions  of  the  four  species  of  ani- 
mals, the  horse,  cattle,  the  sheep  and  the  hog,  whose 
diseases  it  is  our  main  purpose  to  describe  in  the  pages  of 
this  book.  In  doing  so  we  shall  proceed  in  the  same  order 
in  which  the  diseases  tliemselves  will  be  classified  when  we 
come  in  turn  to  study  them. 

(17)  2 


IS  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

THE   BKAIN   AND    NERVOUS   SYSTEM. 

The  cavity  of  the  skull  is  filled  with  the  brain,  which  is 
the  organ  of  intelligence,  of  voluntary  motion,  and  of  the 
senses.  The  impressions  on  the  senses  are  conveyed  to  the 
brain  by  the  nerves,  delicate  branches  of  which  are  found  in 
every  part  of  the  body.  These  branches  unite  and  increase 
in  size  as  we  follow  them  up,  until  they  reach  what  may  be 
called  the  parent  stem,  which  is  the  spinal  cord,  occupying 
the  cavity  in  the  backbone.  This  is  attached  to  the  brain 
at  its  base,  so  that  every  nerve  fibre  connects  directly  with 
the  brain  itself. 

The  nerves  of  sight,  of  hearing,  of  taste  and  smell  are- 
adapted  to  convey  the  impressions  of  these  senses  only. 

In  addition  to  this  chief  system  of  nerves,  called  the 
'^  cerebro-spinal  ^'  system,  there  is  a  lesser  one,  known  as  the 
"  sympathetic  "  nerve  system,  which  is  distributed  chiefly  to 
the  deep  lying  organs  in  the  chest  and  abdomen,  and  to  the 
blood-vessels.  It  is  supposed  to  control  the  involuntary 
motions  of  those  organs. 

The  brain  of  the  horse  is  small  for  his  weight  and  the 
size  of  his  head,  weighing  about  thirty  ounces,  which  is  less 
than  the  smallest  sized  adult  brain  in  man ;  while  the  brain 
of  the  ox  is  still  less,  weighing  about  one-half  that  of  the  horse. 

As  it  is  so  much  less  active  an  organ  in  the  lower  ani- 
mals, it  is  much  less  apt  to  become  diseased  than  in  the 
human  race.  When  its  surfaces  become  inflamed,  it  leads  to 
'^mad  staggers,"  a  sort  of  delirium  ;  and  when  with  this  the 
spinal  cord  is  attacked,  the  disease  is  that  fatal  and  epidemic 
one  known  as  "  cerebro-spinal  meningitis."  Pressure  of 
blood  on  the  brain  either  by  overfilling  of  the  blood-vessels 
or  by  their  bursting  produces  a  stupid  dull  condition,  passing 
at  times  into  complete  unconsciousness,  as  we  witness  in 
*'  sleepy  staggers,"  sunstroke  and  apoplexy. 


The  Breathing   Organs.  19 

The  nerves  respond  to  the  diseased  condition  of  the  brain 
either  by  excessive  and  violent  action,  as  displayed  in  the 
spasms  of  megrims,  epilepsy,  lockjaw  and  hydrophobia ;  or 
else  by  a  more  or  less  complete  loss  of  their  power  of  convey- 
ing sensation  and  motion,  as  in  the  varieties  of  palsy. 

What  physicians  call  "  diseases  of  the  mind,'^  as  insanity 
and  idiocy,  do  not  seem  to  occur  in  the  lower  animals; 
although  instances  are  recorded  where  horses  have  apparently 
deliberately  committed  suicide,  which  would  appear  to  be  an 
evidence  of  hypochondria. 

THE    ORGANS   OF   BREATHING. 

These  consist  of  the  lungs,  and  the  tubes  through  which 
Air  is  conducted  into  them.  The  lungs  are  composed  of 
millions  of  little  sacs  or  vesicles,  each  vesicle  opening  into 
a  minute  tube,  which  tubes  unite  to  form  others  of  larger 
calibre,  called  bronchi;  and  finally  all  the  bronclii  join  the 
lower  end  of  the  windpipe  or  trachea,  which  continues  up 
the  throat  to  the  mouth.  The  lungs  do  not  lie  immediately 
against  the  walls  of  the  chest,  but  against  a  close  membra- 
nous sac  called  the  pleura,  which  lies  between  the  lungs  and 
the  ribs. 

The  act  of  breathing  differs  in  frequency  in  different  ani- 
mals. In  the  horse  it  averages  in  health  ten  or  twelve  times 
a  minute,  in  the  ox  twelve  or  fourteen  times,  in  man  sixteen  or 
eighteen  times.  It  should  also  be  quiet  and  regular,  and  any 
deviation  from  these  natural  conditions  is  justly  regarded 
with  suspicion.  A  warranted  horse  is  held  to  be  especially 
guaranteed  "  in  wind  and  limb,"  any  defect  of  the  breathing 
organs  being  mentioned  first  as  of  first  importance. 

When  the  minute  vesicles  of  the  lungs  are  inflamed  we 
have  the  disease  called  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  lung  fever 
or  pneumonia;  when  the  inflammation  is  in  the  tubes  or 


20  General  Pr^incij^les  of  Vdefrinary  Medicine. 

bronchi,  it  is  called  bronchitis ;  when  in  the  upper  windpipe, 
sore  throat.  Pleurisy  is  an  inflammation  of  the  membranous 
sac  we  have  described  as  the  pleura.  Asthma,  roaring,  thick 
wind,  broken  wind,  heaves  and  other  disorders  of  the  breath- 
inof-  arise  from  alterations  in  the  nerves  and  tissues  of  these 
organs ;  while  consumption,  although  a  general  disease  of 
the  system,  most  frequently,  both  in  men  and  horses,  leads 
early  to  a  softening  and  breaking  down  of  the  substance  of 
the  lungs. 

THE   OEGANS   OF   DIGESTION. 

These  include  much  more  than  the  stomach  and  bowels. 
The  digestion  of  food  really  begins  in  the  mouth,  where  it 
is  ground  by  the  teeth  and  altered  by  the  chemical  action  of 
the  saliva.  Therefore  we  include  under  this  heading,  the 
mouth,  teeth,  throat,  gullet,  stomach  and  bowels. 

It  is  in  this  part  of  the  system  that  the  herbivorous  ani- 
mals differ  most  from  those  which  eat  flesh  only,  and  those 
which  eat  both  flesh  and  vegetable  food.  The  chemical 
processes  which  can  convert  dry  hay  to  rich  blood  and  firm 
flesh  are  w^ondrously  complicated  and  require  an  extensive 
laboratory.  This  is  furnished  by  a  remarkable  length  of  in- 
testine and  generally  by  several  stomachs.  In  man  the 
intestines  are  six  or  seven  times  longer  than  his  body ;  in  the 
pig  they  are  thirteen  times  longer ;  in  the  sheep  they  are 
twenty-eight  times ;  in  the  ox  twenty-two  times ;  in  the 
horse  but  ten  times  the  length  of  the  body.  Yet  this  gives 
the  horse  an  intestinal  tube  ninety  feet  long,  and  capable  of 
containing  more  than  a  barrel  of  fluid. 

The  teeth,  in  both  the  horse  and  the  ox,  as  in  the  child, 
appear  at  first  in  a  temporary  set  called  "milk  teeth," which 
are  followed  by  permanent  ones,  the  change  being  completed 
in  both  animals  about  the  fifth  year  of  life.  The  horse  has 
forty  teeth,  the  ox  and  man  thirty-two.     As  in  the  human 


Organs  of  Digestion,  21 

mouth,  there  are  in  the  horse  three  kinds  of  teeth,  the  front 
teeth  or  incisors,  called  the  ^^  nippers;  the  canine  teeth,  called 
"tushes/^  and  the  molar  teeth,  called  "grinders.'^  The 
appearance  of  the  teeth  and  the  amount  of  wear  they  dis- 
close, enable  those  acquainted  with  their  development  to  de- 
cide positively  of  the  age  of  a  horse  within  one  year  up  to 
nine  years  of  age.  But  a  discussion  of  this  subject  does  not 
come  within  our  province. 

The  horse  has  but  one  stomach,  while  the  ox  and  the  sheep 
have  each  four.  They  are  in  both  animals  known  by  the 
same  names.  The  first  is  the  paunch  or  rumen  ;  the  second 
is  the  honeycomb  or  kingshood ;  the  third  is  the  manyplies 
or  omasum ;  the  fourth  is  the  red,  the  reuuet  or  the  aboma- 
sum.  The  first  three  communicate  with  the  gullet  by  a 
common  opening.  The  "  cud  "  is  contained  in  the  first  and 
second  stomachs,  and  after  it  has  been  masticated  a  second 
time  it  passes  to  the  third  and  fourth,  and  to  the  bowels,  to 
undergo  the  further  process  of  digestion. 

This  is  accomplished  by  the  peculiar  action  upon  it  of  the 
secretion  of  the  fourth  stomach  or  rennet,  an  action  fami- 
liarly known  by  the  use  of  rennet  in  the  kitchen,  and  of 
"  pepsin  ^^  in  medicine,  which  is  obtained  directly  from  this  • 
stomach ;  and  after  it  passes  into  the  bowels  by  the  secre- 
tions of  the  liver  and  pancras  or  sweet  bread. 

Thus  prepared,  it  comes  into  contact  in  the  long  course  of 
the  bowels — two  hundred  feet  nearly  in  the  ox — with  count- 
less little  absorbing  points  called  "  villi,''  which  take  up  the 
food  now  changed  to  a  large  extent  to  a  thick  fluid,  leaving 
the  insoluble  and  undigested  portions  to  continue  down  the 
tube  to  the  rectum  or  anus,  whence  they  are  periodically  dis- 
charged as  feces  or  dung. 

As  may  readily  be  conceived,  this  intricate  and  delicate 
process  is  easily  disturbed,  and  hence  loss  of  appetite,  im- 
paired digestion,  and  irregularity  of  the  bowels  accompany 


22  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

nearly  every  disease  on  the  catalogue.  Improper  food,  and 
too  little  or  too  much  exercise  bring  on  indigestion  or  dys- 
pepsia, in  which  complaint  there  may  be  one  or  another  form 
of  disturbance.  Colic,  gripes  or  hoven  is  an  accumulation  of 
air  or  gas  in  the  stomach  or  bowels,  painfully  stretching  their 
walls.  Scouring  is  a  too  free  and  watery  action  of  the  intes- 
tines ;  dysentery  and  enteritis  are  when  the  intestines  are  in- 
flamed ;  and  obstruction  occurs  when  through  hair-balls, 
rupture  or  twistings  their  passage  is  choked  uj). 


The  digested  food,  we  have  seen  above,  is  taken  up  in  the 
intestines  in  the  shape  of  a  milky  fluid  by  innumerable  absor- 
bent points  or  villi.  What  do  they  do  with  it  ?  They  pour 
it  into  the  absorbent  vessels  or  lymphatics,  which  empty  into 
larger  and  larger  ones,  and  so  on  until  the  whole  of  the  nu- 
tritive fluid  is  collected  into  one  great  duct  or  tube,  which 
extends  forward  and  pours  its  life-giving  contents  into  the 
large  veins  at  the  base  of  the  neck,  whence  it  is  conveyed  to 
the  heart  and  enters  the  general  circulation  of  the  blood. 

And  this  circulation,  what  is  meant  by  it?  It  means 
that  the  blood  is  drawn  in  and  driven  out  of  the  heart  by 
its  powerful  throbs,  with  such  force  and  rapidity  that  the 
whole  of  it  in  the  body  makes  the  circuit  of  the  system  in 
less  than  three  minutes,  washing  out  the  dead  and  worn  out 
particles,  discharging  them  by  the  lungs,  kidney  and  liver, 
and  purging  and  brightening  itself  in  the  fresh  air  drawn 
in  by  the  lungs  for  another  such  rapid  and  purifying  race. 

The  parts  concerned  in  this  circulation  are  the  heart,  the 
arteries  and  the  veins.  The  arteries  lead /rom  the  heart;  the 
blood  they  carry  is  bright  red,  and  it  flows  in  waves,  felt  on 
the  pulse,  and  shown  when  an  arteiy  is  cut  by  the  blood 
spouting  in  jets  or  spurts.     The  veins  lead  to  the  heart :  the 


The  Course  of  the  Blood,  23 

blood  they  carry  is  dark  red,  and  It  flows  in  a  steady,  regular 
stream.  The  arteries  divide  and  subdivide  into  innumerable 
branches,  diminishing  to  a  size  where  it  takes  the  strongest 
microscope  to  discover  them,  which  are  collected  again  into 
larger  and  larger  branches  to  form  the  veins. 

These  smallest  divisions  are  the  capillaries^  and  it  is  while 
in  them  that  the  blood  alters  in  color  from  a  bright  to  a  dark 
red,  by  undergoing  the  changes  necessary  to  keep  up  the  life 
of  the  tissues  through  which  it  flows. 

Thus  the  blood  is  returned  to  the  heart  dark  and  dull, 
and  loaded  with  worn  out  matter.  It  enters  the  right  side 
of  the  heart,  which  has  two  cavities  wholly  separate  from 
two  similar  ones  on  the  left  side.  It  is  at  once  driven  to 
the  lungs,  where  it  is  spread  over  the  delicate  thin  walls 
of  millions  of  vesicles  and  exposed  to  the  air  inhaled  at  each 
act  of  breathing ;  it  throws  out  carbonic  acid  gas,  absorbs 
oxygen,  and  returns  to  the  left  side  of  the  heart  fresh  and 
bright  once  more,  and  ready  to  recommence  its  journey. 
And  so  it  continues  its  endless  round  till  death  stops  it  for- 
ever. 

In  the  human  race  diseases  of  the  heart  and  blood-vesse2s 
are  common,  but  in  the  lower  animals  they  are  rare,  ^o 
doubt  the  erect  position  of  man,  which  demands  heavier 
labor  from  the  heart,  is  partly  a  cause  of  this;  another  is  his 
greater  nervous  excitability,  and  his  intemperance.  In  both 
species,  inflammatory  rheumatism  is  often  followed  by  a 
change  in  the  valves  and  walls  of  the  heart. 

Practically,  it  is  of  great  importance  to  be  able  to  distin- 
guish bleeding  from  arteries  from  bleeding  from  veins  by  the 
color  of  the  blood.  For  venous  bleeding  will  usually  cease 
by  simple  measures ;  but  arterial  bleeding  requires  the  liga- 
ture. 

When  the  amount  and  quality  of  the  food  is  largely  in 
excess  of  the  needs  of  the  system  for  repairing  its  waste  by 


24  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  lledidne, 

exercise,  the  blood  is  said  to  be  "  too  rich/'  and  the  animaV 
increases  in  fat,  and  may  become  sluggish  and  torpid.  This 
state  of  plethora  or  "  over-condition,''  though  not  actually  a 
disease,  is  not  one  of  the  most  perfect  health  ;  and  though  it 
suits  well  for  stall-fed  steers,  it  is  injurious  to  milk-cows  and 
work  or  racing  horses.  It  is  counteracted  by  lower  diet, 
more  exercise,  a  brisk  purge,  and  in  racers  by  the  process  of 
"  sweating  "  them  under  the  saddle  and  sweat-cloths. 

THE   KIDNEYS   AND   SEX   OEGANS. 

The  kidneys  are  the  organs  which  secrete  the  urine  from 
the  blood.  The  fluid  flows  from  them  through  a  duct  into 
the  bladder,  whence  it  is  expelled  from  time  to  time.  The 
urine  of  horses  has  a  peculiar,  strong  unpleasant  odor,  and  a 
bitter,  salty  taste ;  the  urine  of  cattle  is  clear,  of  a  pale 
yellow  color,  of  a  bitter  taste,  and  a  strong  alkaline  reaction. 
The  urine  of  the  sheep  and  the  pig  resembles  that  of  cattle. 

The  sex  organs  in  the  male  horse  are  the  sheath,  the  yard 
and  the  testicles.  In  the  gelding  and  the  steer,  the  latter  are 
removed  by  the  operation  of  castration. 

In  the  female  the  sex  organs  are  the  uterus  or  womb  with 
its  appendages,  the  ovaries  and  the  vagina,  which  is  the 
passage  which  conducts  to  the  womb.  In  mares  this  is  about 
eighteen  inches  long.  In  the  operation  of  spaying,  the  ova- 
ries are  removed,  which  renders  the  female  barren,  and 
usually  destroys  her  sexual  desires. 

These  desires  in  the  female  lower  animals  are  only  mani- 
fested, when  in  health,  on  certain  periodical  occasions,  known 
as  the  "  oestrum,"  when  the  animal  is  said  to  be  "  in  heat." 
This  is  manifested  by  restlessness,  calling  the  male,  signs  of 
congestion  and  irritation  about  the  sex  organs,  and  by  the 
discharge  of  a  fluid  from  the  vagina,  which  is  said  to  have  a 
characteristic,  and  penetrating  odor  in  the  highest  degree  ex- 
citing to  the  perfect  male. 


Breeding  In-and-in,  25 

The  mammary  glands  or  udder  is  an  appendage  of  the  sex 
organs  in  the  female.  It  is  brought  into  action  after  fertile 
connection  and  reproduction  have  been  accomplished — though 
the  secretion  of  milk  is  possible  without  these. 

Although  the  horse,  ox  and  sheep  are  strictly  herbivorous 
animals,  they  live,  when  young,  on  animal  food  in  the  form 
of  milk ;  and  it  is  the  desire  by  man  to  partake  of  this  food 
that  leads  him  to  give  so  much  attention  to  the  breeding  of 
cows  in  this  country  and  of  mares  in  Asia. 

The  diseases  of  these  organs  form  a  very  important  class. 
Disturbances  of  the  urinary  secretion  are  by  no  means  un- 
common in  our  domestic  animals.  Diabetes  or  excessive  uri- 
nation is  a  familiar  example;  "red  water '^  and  "black 
water  "  are  known  in  both  horses  and  cows ;  and  inflamma- 
tory affections  of  the  bladder  and  kidneys,  though  not  fre- 
quent, are  always  troublesome. 

With  regard  to  the  sex  organs,  the  difficulties  and  compli- 
cations of  pregnancy  and  parturition  demand  careful  study 
on  the  part  of  the  stock  owner ;  and  disorders  of  the  udder, 
the  treatment  of  milk  fever,  and  the  management  of  new- 
born calves  are  subjects  A\ath  which  every  one  having  the 
care  of  domestic  animals  should  make  himself  acquainted. 

Another  and  important  topic,  which  comes  appropriately 
in  this  connection,  is  the  effect  on  the  health  of  stock  of 
breeding  in-and-in.  As  a  predisposing  cause  to  certain  very 
dangerous  diseases,  it  has  not  received  in  the  United  States, 
at  least,  the  attention  it  should  have. 

The  ill  effects  of  close  breeding  are  seen  less  in  the  horse, 
than  in  cattle  and  sheep.  In  cattle  the  extremities  become 
delicate,  the  hair  smooth  and  fine,  the  ears  thin,  and  the 
general  sensitiveness  increased.  The  animal  becomes  more 
subject  to  various  diseases,  especially  of  the  lungs,  and  to 
what  are  called  "  clayers  '^  in  the  throat.  The  English  herd 
books  give   instances  where  once  famous  herds  have  de- 


26  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

generated  and  become  extinct  by  persistent  in-and-in  breed- 
ing. 

In  sheep  the  effects  are  to  produce  fine  and  delicate  ex- 
tremities, to  bare  the  head  of  wool,  ana  to  render  the  ears 
thin  and  red.  The  animal  becomes  very  susceptible  to  cold, 
and  uncommonly  subject  to  such  diseases  as  flukes  and  foot 
rot. 

THE   EEPKODUCTIVE   ACTS. 

In  regard  to  the  development  of  the  reproductive  powers, 
the  domestic  animals  differ  widely. 

The  mare  begins  to  breed  at  four  years  of  age  and  carries 
her  young  340  days  from  the  time  of  conception  to  its  natu- 
ral delivery.  She  may  safely  be  worked  to  within  tw^o  weeks 
of  that  time,  but  should  have  rest  for  three  or  four  weeks 
afterwards.  The  foal  should  be  weaned  at  five  or  six  months 
of  age. 

The  youngest  age  at  which  the  heifer  should  be  put  to  the 
bull  is  laid  down  by  the  best  English  breeders  at  one  year 
and  eight  months.  She  carries  her  young  the  same  length 
of  time  as  the  human  female,  to  wit,  about  nine  months. 
The  most  favorable  period  for  calving  is  in  the  spring.  For 
five  or  six  weeks  previous  to  its  occurrence  her  milk  should 
be  dried,  and  during  the  w-hole  period  of  gestation,  she 
should  be  underfed  rather  than  overfed,  too  rich  diet  being 
a  very  common  cause  of  abortion.  The  calf  should  have 
nothiug  but  the  teat  for  three  or  four  weeks,  when  it  may 
begin  with  skimmed  milk,  etc. 

Both  rams  and  ewes  are  ready  to  breed  at  fifteen  months 
of  age.  The  ewe  carries  her  young  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  days.  When  born,  it  is  often  very  delicate  and  requires 
the  attentive  care  of  the  shepherd  to  survive. 

The  sow  should  breed  at  one  year  of  age.  Her  period  of 
gestation  is  113  days,  and  it  is  a  prudent  precaution  to  sepa- 


Nursing,  27 

rate  her  from  the  rest  of  the  herd  for  one  week  before  her 
farrowing  is  due.  In  three  weeks  from  their  birth  the 
young  pigs  begin  to  eat  other  food  than  the  milk  of  the  sow, 


CHAPTER  II. 

NUESING,  CARE   AXD   DIET   OF   SICK   ANIMALS. 

Separation  and  Stabling — Disinfection — Rest  and  Sleep-^ 
Cleansing  and  Dressing — Position,  Slings  and  Cradles — 
Food  and  Drink — Special  Diet  Preparations. 

As  in  the  human  species,  so  in  the  domestic  animals,  very 
much  of  the  success  of  medicines  depends  upon  intelligent 
nursing ;  and  the  most  approved  skill  of  the  veterinarian 
will  fail  utterly,  if  the  principles  of  hygiene  and  sanitation 
are  neglected.     These  principles  we  shall  now  specify. 

SEPARATION   AXD   STABLING. 

Whenever  an  animal  is  seen  to  be  ailing,  it  should  be  sepa- 
i^ited  from  others  and  placed  in  a  lot  or  pen  apart,  or  in  a 
stall  at  a  distance  from  others.  This  is  especially  important 
when  contagious  diseases  are  prevalent,  but  it  should  be  a 
rule  at  all  times  and  in  e^'^ry  instance. 

The  stall  chosen  shoulo.  be  roomy,  well  drained  and  ven- 
tilated, free  from  the  odes  of  decaying  animal  or  vegetable 
matters,  moderately  lighted  and  quiet.  The  temperature  to 
be  preferred  is  about  60°  or  65°  Fah. 

A  loose  box  is  preferable  to  a  stall,  when  it  is  to  be  had, 
as  it  allows  an  animal  more  liberty  of  movement,  and  permits 
him  to  assume  any  position  which  is  most  comfortable.    The 


28  General  Pinncijples  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

floor  should  be  well  littered  with  clean  straw  which  should 
be  changed  as  often  as  it  becomes  foul  wdth  the  discharges. 
Surface  gutters  are  to  be  preferred  in  all  instances  to  traps 
or  sink  holes,  as  the  former  allow  the  discharges  to  be 
rapidly  and  thoroughly  removed. 

In  some  systems  of  ventilation,  especially  that  by  a  tube 
or  shaft  descending  from  the  roof,  and  that  by  open  doors 
and  windows,  there  is  danger,  especially  at  night,  of  a  cur- 
rent of  raw  cold  air  striking  the  animal,  and  chilling  it  to  a 
dangerous  degree.  Louver  windows  in  the  roof  or  under  the 
eaves,  if  properly  made,  are  less  objectionable;  and  best  of 
all  is  a  ventilating  shaft  which  has  its  opening  within  a  foot 
or  two  of  the  floor,  the  current  in  which  is  maintained  by  a 
revolving  ventilator  at  the  top. 

DISINFECTION. 

Should  never  be  neglected.  The  walls  should  be  fre- 
quently whitewashed,  and  the  discharges  deodorized  by  the 
use  of  sulphate  of  iron  (copperas),  which  is  a  cheap  and  efiS- 
cient  agent  for  the  purpose.  A  handful  may  be  dissolved  in 
a  bucket  of  water  and  thrown  into  the  drain. 

More  efficient  is  the  chloride  of  zinc  (butter  of  zinc),  which 
may  be  dissolved  in  water  in  the  proportion  of  an  ounce  to 
one  or  two  gallons.  It  is  very  efiective,  and  not  liable  to  be 
absorbed. 

In  contagious  cases  it  is  of  the  first  importance  that  the 
infecting  germs  be  destroyed  as  soon  as  they  are  produced, 
and  before  they  have  had  a  chance  to  spread  the  contagion. 
The  attendants  on  such  cases  should  not  handle  or  approach 
healthy  animals,  when  it  is  possible  to  avoid  it. 

The  sheds  or  stables  occupied  by  such  animals  should  be 
fumigated  with  sulphur  two  or  three  times  a  week.  The 
fumes  should  not  be  strong  enough  to  set  the  animals  cough- 


Disinfecting,  29 

ing.  If  mixed  \\ath  tar,  the  gases  generated  by  the  com- 
bustion of  the  two  form  the  most  active  atmospheric  disin- 
fectant now  known  to  science. 

No.  1.  Flowers  of  sulphur,  |  lb. 

Wood  tar,  1  qt. 

Mix  with  tow. 

This  much,  burned  at  one  or  two  spots,  will  be  enough  to 
disinfect  a  shed  one  hundred  feet  long  and  twenty  wide. 

Carbolic  acid  in  its  impure  liquid  form  ia  conveniently 
applied  with  a  brush  over  the  doors,  walls  and  troughs,  and 
may  also  be  applied  to  the  hooves  of  the  animals.  Rugs  or 
blankets  may  be  wet  with  a  weak  solution  of  it  and  hung 
around,  to  attract  and  destroy  any  disease  germs  floating  in 
the  atmosphere.  It  also  has  the  advantage  of  being  dis- 
agreeable to  flies,  which  in  the  summer  time  are  otherwise 
sure  to  attack  and  annoy  the  sick  animal. 

Chloride  of  lime  is  also  a  popular  disinfectant,  but  apart 
from  it  being  generally  highly  disagreeable  to  animals,  it  is 
not  so  active  as  those  we  have  already  mentioned. 

The  value  of  disinfection  is  no  longer  open  to  discussion. 
It  has  been  shown  beyond  controversy  that  over  and  over 
again  such  malignant  maladies  as  the  foot-and-mouth  disease, 
the  cattle  plague  and  black  quarter  have  been  stayed  in  their 
ravages  and  prevented  from  extending  by  a  free,  constant 
and  wise  use  of  these  potent  agents.  AYe  add  formulas  to 
prepare  a  number  of  them  besides  those  already  mentioned, 
60  that  one  may  be  obtained  when  another  is  not  convenient. 

No.  2.  Sulphate  of  iron,  2  parts. 

Sulphate  of  zinc,  ^  I  each  1  part. 

Tan  or  oak  bark  in  powder,  )  ^ 

Mix  with  tar  into  balls  the  size  of  the  fist,  and  put  into  drains,  cess- 
pools and  sink  holes. 

No.  3.  Bry  chloride  of  lime,  2  parts. 

Burnt  alum,  1  part. 
To  be  set  in  shallow  dishes  about  the  stables,  &c.    This  is  known 
as  "  Collins'  Disinfecting  Powder." 


30  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

No.  4.  Common  salt,  2  lbs. 

Oil  of  vitriol,  1  pint. 
Pour  the  oil  of  vitriol  slowly  in  the  salt,  and  muriatic  gas  will  be 

evolved,  which  is  a  powerful  disinfectant.     Eecommended  by  the 

Cattle  Plague  Commission. 

What  are  known  as  the  "  disinfecting  powders/'  which 
are  preparations  of  carbolic  acid  by  McDougall,  Calvert  and 
other  makers,  are  sprinkled  daily  throughout  the  extensive 
stables  in  London  and  Liverpool,  at  an  annual  cost  of  only 
one  dollar  and  a  quarter  for  each  horse.  They  keep  the  flies 
away  and  the  atmosphere  pure. 


REST   AND   SLEEP 

Are  great  restoratives  to  the  exhausted  system.  Hence  the 
attendant  on  the  sick  animal  should  be  careful  to  secure 
these.  Horses  are  nervous  creatures,  and  cannot  sleep  soimd- 
ly  w^here  there  is  much  noise.  AVhen  sick,  no  one  should  be 
allowed  to  walk  about  on  a  floor  overhead,  especially  at 
night ;  the  stall  should  be  darkened,  and  the  crowd  of  pas- 
sing visitors  which  generally  collects,  should  promptly  be 
dispersed. 

Especially  is  this  true  of  all  diseases  of  the  brain  and  ner- 
vous system ;  to  such  a  degree,  indeed,  that  the  prescription 
in  tetanus  (lockjaw)  of  an  eminent  veterinarian  is  for  the 
owner  of  the  animal  to  lock  the  stable  door,  put  the  key  in 
his  pocket,  and  not  approach  the  place  again  for  three  days. 

This  general  rest  is  to  be  carried  further,  to  rest  of  the 
part  w^hich  is  diseased.  If  the  digestive  organs  are  inflamed 
the  simplest  and  blandest  food  and  not  much  of  that  is  to  be 
allowed ;  purgatives  are  to  be  w^ithheld  as  only  adding  fuel 
to  the  flames.  If  the  eye  or  the  foot  is  inflamed,  shading 
from  the  light  is  demanded  in  the  first,  and  entire  freedom 
from  motion  in  the  second  case.    But  when  acute  disease  haa 


Cleanliness,  31 

passed  away,  the  gradual  use  of  an  affected  part  generally 
does  good. 

CLEANING  AND   DRESSING. 

A  sick  animal  should  be  kept  scrupulously  clean.  This 
is  neither  an  easy  nor  a  pleasant  task,  especially  with  cows 
and  cattle  suffering  from  dysentery  and  other  scouring  disea-- 
ses.  They  lie  down  and  obstinately  refuse  to  move  even  to 
get  out  of  the  way  of  their  own  discharges.  They  must  be 
well  bedded,  and  gentle  but  sufficient  force  be  used  to  wash 
them  thoroughly  once  a  day.  When  the  condition  is  one  of 
fever,  if  the  body  is  sponged  several  times  a  day  with  some 
vinegar  added  to  tepid  water,  great  comfort  will  result,  and 
the  hot  and  dry  condition  of  the  skin  be  much  relieved. 

Harsh  rubbing,  scraping,  and  the  currycomb  are  not 
the  means  to  use  in  cleansing  a  sick  animal.  Plenty  of 
warm  water  and  the  handbrush,  followed  by  the  cloth,  are 
what  are  needed. 

In  feverish  diseases  and  inflammations  both  in  horses  and 
cattle,  and  in  recovery  from  exhausting  attacks  of  all  kinds, 
a  warm  rug  or  two  and  bandages  to  the  legs  help  to  maintain 
an  even  temperature,  and  combat  congestion  of  the  internal 
organs. 

In  putting  on  bandages  the  art  is  to  avoid  unequal  pres- 
sure, and  yet  in  giving  sufficient  to  afford  gentle  support  and 
to  distribute  equable  heat.  The  bandages  are  usually  of 
flannel  or  some  other  woolen  material.  They,  as  well  as  all 
other  clothing,  should  always  be  removed  twice  daily,  the 
skin  washed  off  and  rubbed,  and  the  covering  promptly 
re-applied. 

Attention  to  the  hair  is  a  very  important  question  in  dress- 
ing, especially  in  horses.  There  has  been  a  prejudice,  and 
we  believe  an  entirely  unfounded  one,  in  this  country  against 
"clipping^'    horses.       Yet   as   a   measure   of   comfort    in 


32  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

health,  and  improvement  in  disease,  we  believe  it  a  very 
desirable  procedure.  Not  to  discuss  the  question  we  shall 
simply  quote  the  words  of  that  very  eminent  authority, 
Prof.  W.  Williams;  Principal  of  the  Veterinary  College 
of  Edinburgh.  He  says  :  "  With  reference  to  the  clipping 
of  horses,  I  am  of  opinion  that  it  is  a  great  advantage ;  they 
work  better  after  being  clipped ;  thrive  on  less  food ;  are  less 
liable  to  disease ;  and  when  sick  recover  in  a  much  shorter 
time."  Frequently,  therefore,  it  is  a  part  of  good  nursing 
to  clip  them. 

When  this  is  not  done,  it  is  often  of  advantage  to  cut 
away  the  hair  at  the  fetlocks,  and  under  the  chin,  and  trim 
the  main  and  tail.  Many  horses  which  are  "  hide  bound," 
out  of  condition,  mangey,  and  generally  run  down,  will  re- 
cover forthwith  as  soon  as  they  are  clipped  and  closely 
trimmed. 

In  all  instances  the  feet  should  be  looked  to.  The  shoes 
should  be  removed,  and  a  "  stopping  "  of  equal  parts  of  cow 
dung  and  clay  be  used  in  horses ;  while  in  cattle  it  is  well  to 
paint  the  hoofs  with  tar,  or  impure  carbolic  acid. 

POSITION,   SLINGS   AND   CEADLES. 

A  horse  has  generally  a  nervous  fear  about  lying  down 
when  sick,  on  account  of  the  increased  difficulty  he  experi- 
ences in  breathing  in  that  condition  ;  hence  he  is  apt,  when 
he  can  no  longer  stand,  to  give  up  the  struggle  in  despair 
and  to  die  when  his  attack  is  not  necessarily  mortal.  This  is 
not  the  case  with  cows  and  cattle,  as  they  spend  much  of 
their  time  reclining,  and  as  a  rule  adopt  that  position  early 
in  their  sickness. 

Of  course,  when  the  leg  or  foot  is  seriously  diseased,  the 
horse  finds  far  greater  comfort  lying,  and  then  it  is  bad  man- 
agement to  prevent  him  doing  so.  But  otherwise  we  incline 
to  believe  a  horse  should  be  encouraged  to  stand  as  long  as 


Slings  for  Horses.  33 

possible.  It  is  his  natural  position  in  sleep,  and  it  is 
not  nearly  so  fatiguing  to  hira,  even  when  extremely  de- 
bilitated, as  some  kind  hearted  people  but  of  slight  anatomi- 
cal knowledge,  have  asserted. 

In  fact,  no  stable  is  complete  in  its  appointments  that  is 
not  provided  with  the  apparatus  kno^^Ti  as  "  the  sling,'^  in 
which  to  support  in  an  erect  position  a  horse  unable  or  un- 
willing to  stand.  The  use  of  this  alone  will  cure  some  cases, 
and  is  absolutely  indispensable  for  the  successful  treatment 
of  many  others.  The  simplest  form  of  the  sling,  as  recom- 
mended by  Prof.  Law,  is  as  follows  : 

Four  strong  posts  are  fixed  to  the  ground  and  roof  so  as 
to  form  an  oblong,  inside  which  the  four  feet  of  the  animal 
may  stand.  A  strong  horizontal  bar  is  then  fixed  to  the  two 
posts  on  each  side,  at  such  a  height  as  to  correspond  to  the 
middle  of  the  body.  Then  the  animal  being  walked  into 
the  frame,  a  horizontal  bar  is  fixed  between  the  two  front 
posts  so  high  as  to  cross  the  lower  part  of  the  neck,  and 
another  between  the  tw^o  hind  posts  at  about  the  height  of 
the  stifle.  Next  a  strong  piece  of  sailcloth  or  other  firm 
material  strengthened  by  small  ropes,  is  fixed  to  the  bar  on 
one  side  by  being  wound  around  and  nailed  to  the  outer 
side,  and  having  been  passed  beneath  the  body  is  nailed  to 
the  bar  on  the  other  side  in  the  same  way.  It  must  be  just 
sufficiently  far  back  to  clear  the  fore  limbs,  and  just  so  loose 
as  to  allow  the  patient  to  stand  over  it  without  pressure  or 
chafing,  or  to  settle  himself  into  it  at  will.  In  the  male  care 
must  be  taken  to  have  it  narrow  enough  not  to  cover  the  sheath. 

It  is  often  necessary  to  allow  an  animal  to  become 
fatigued  by  standing  for  a  day  or  two  before  being  put  in  a 
sling,  otherwise  he  may  be  very  irritable  at  first.  Care 
must  be  taken  not  to  let  him  feel  the  sling  beneath  him 
until  it  is  ready  to  be  fixed,  as  many  patients  will  settle  down 
into  it  the  moment  it  is  felt. 


34  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

Another  and  in  some  respects  preferable  ]:>lan,  is  to  take  a 
strong  piece  of  sailcloth  of  the  width  of  the  distance  from 
the  sheath  to  behind  the  fore  limbs,  and  of  a  length  equal  to 
the  girth  of  the  horse.  Wrap  each  end  twice  around  two- 
inch  rollers  of  wood  and  nail  them  securely,  and  work  a  two- 
inch  wide  buttonhole  in  each  end  of  cloth  just  beneath  the 
middle  of  each  roller.     A  rope  and  tackle  should  now  be 


FIG.  1.— A  HORSE  IN  A   SLING. 

fastened  securely  to  the  ceiling  of  the  stable  and  a  [\  shaped 
hook  of  bar-iron  be  obtained  from  the  blacksmith,  the  up- 
turned ends  of  which  are  to  be  inserted  in  the  buttonholes, 
and  the  central  portion  of  which  is  connected  with  the  pul- 
ley, and  thus  the  horse  raised  or  lowered  at  pleasure.  Breast 
straps  and  breechbands  can  be  added  as  desired. 


Diet  of  Sick  Animals,  35 

Cradles  are  used  in  cases  of  fracture  of  the  bones  of  the 
jaw.  Some  are  elaborately  made  of  steel  bands  and  leather 
straps;  but  any  inventive  person  can  devise  one  from  thin 
and  strong  strips  of  wood  and  firm  bandages,  the  object  in 
all  cases  being  to  maintain  the  fragments  of  the  bones  in 
their  natural  positions  until  union  has  taken  place  between 
them.  Hatters'  felt,  stiffened  wdth  shellac,  and  hard  rubber 
in  sheets,  either  of  which  can  be  moulded  to  the  part  when 
moistened  with  hot  water,  are  useful  in  such  cases. 

FOOD   AND   DEINK.    ' 

In  sickness  food  requires  to  be  given  with  special  care  and 
in  an  easily  digestible  form,  for  in  all  serious  diseases  the 
digestive  powers  are  impaired.  In  not  a  few  complaints  of 
a  feverish  character,  both  of  horses  and  cattle,  the  ordinary 
grains  and  dry  fodders  are  not  readily  digested,  and  con- 
sequently give  rise  to  derangement  of  the  stomach  and 
bowels.  Such  patients  should  be  fed  on  mashes,  gruels  and 
other  soft  food,  to  which  milk  and  eggs  can  be  added  when 
active  nutrition  is  demanded. 

Food  should  never  be  allowed  to  lie  long  before  a  sick 
animal.  If  not  promptly  consumed  it  should  be  removed, 
and  in  a  couple  of  hours  or  less  time  another  supply  be  fur- 
nished. In  most  cases  of  disease,  it  is  better  to  give  small 
quantities  at  a  time,  and  have  it  often  repeated.  With  re- 
turning appetite,  a  convalescing  animal  will  often  eat  more 
than  is  good  for  him,  and  thus  bring  about  a  relapse  of  the 
disease.  With  the  horse,  it  must  be  remembered  that  his 
stomach  is  small  for  his  size,  and  that  even  in  health  he  does 
not  bear  hunger  nearly  so  well  as  man,  and  requires  food  as 
often  as  every  four  hours.  He  also  urgently  desires  a  change 
of  diet,  neither  grain  nor  clean  hay  alone  fully  satisfying  his 
craving. 


36  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

Unless  when  affected  with  diarrhoea,  dysentery  or  diabetes, 
animals  do  not  injure  themselves  by  taking  too  much  water, 
but  are  often  rendered  uncomfortable  and  recovery  retarded 
by  undue  restriction  in  this  direction.  A  supply  of  water, 
cool,  clean  soft  water,  should  always  be  within  their  reach, 
except  in  the  diseases  mentioned,  when  the  quantity  must  be 
limited.  Small  quantities  given  often  will  allay  thirst  much 
more  certainly  than  large  quantities  at  long  intervals.  The 
horse  is  especially  delicate  about  drinking  water,  and  when 
sick,  neither  hard  nor  dirty  nor  tepid  water  should  be  offered 
him;  and  if  the  nitre,  etc.,  often  added  to  the  water  appears 
distasteful,  it  should  be  omitted. 

In  all  instances  a  lump  of  rock  salt  should  be  placed  in 
the  feed  trough  for  him  to  lick  at,  at  his  pleasure. 

SPECIAL   DIET   PREPARATIONS. 

These,  for  animals,  mostly  consist  of  mild,  nutritious  or 
cooling  drinks,  and  mashes. 

An  excellent  substance  for  them  Is  linseed,  either  in  the 
form  of  gruel,  tea  or  cake.  It  Is  soothing,  palatable,  easily 
digested,  and  moderately  laxative.  Oat  meal,  ground  corn, 
barley  and  bran,  are  other  useful  forms  of  grain  suitable  for 
special  diet.    We  add  recipes  for  a  few  of  their  preparations. 

Linseed  Tea. 

No.  5.  Bruised  linseed,  4  to  6  oz. 

Boiling  water,  1  gallon. 
Simmer  for  two  hours,  strain  and  add  a  few  spoonfuls  of  xnolasses  or 
honey. 

Linseed  Mash. 

No.  6.  Linseed,  2  qts. 

Sugar,  2  oz. 

Boiling  water,  6  qts. 
Simmer  for  several  hours  on  a  slow  fire. 


Special  Diet  Beceipts,  37 

Barley  Water. 

No.  7.  Barley,  1  lb. 

Water,  2  galls. 
Boil  to  six  quarts,  strain,  and  add  a  teacupful  of  molasses. 

Malt  Mash. 

No.  8.  Ground  malt,  1  peel?. 

Boiling  water,  1^  gall. 
Stir  frequently,  and  give  when  milk  warm.    This  is  a  nutritious  mash, 
valuable  in  debility. 

Bran  Mash. 

No.  9.  Bran,  ^  peck. 

Boiling  water,  enough  to  scald  it  thoroughly. 
Stir  and  give  when  milk  warm.     Softening  and  laxative. 

Oatmeal  Gruel. 

No.  10.  Oatmeal, 

Water,  each,  ^  pint. 
Mix  well  together,  then  add  to  one  gallon  of  boiling  water,  and  boil 
for  a  few  minutes. 

No.  11.  Fresh  eggs,  4. 

Fresh  milk,  2  qts. 
Beat  together,  and  give  milk  warm.    A  concentrated  form  of  nourish 
ment  in  exhausted  conditions. 


38  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

CHAPTER  III. 

FORMS   OF   MEDICINES,  AND   METHODS   OF   THEIR  ADMINIS- 
TRATION. 

List  of  Forms  and  Methods — Medication  hy  the  Mouth — In- 
jections  into  the   Nose — Medication   hy  the   Rectum  and 
Vagina  —  Medication    hy    the    Blood-vessels  —  External 
Methods  of  Medication — Weights  and  Measures,  and  their 
Domestic  Equivalents. 

Medicines  can  be  conveniently  acf ministered  to  the  lower 
animals  by  a  number  of  different  methods,  which  may  be 
classified  into  internal  and  external,  as  follows: 

Internal  Methods, 

1.  By  the  mouth  or  nostrils,  in  the  form  of 

Balls  or  boluses. 

Powders. 

Drenches,  draughts  or  drinks. 

Vapors,  sprays  and  fumes. 

Snuffs. 

2.  By  the  rectum  or  vagina,  in  the  form  of 

Injections,  clysters  or  enemas. 
Suppositories. 

3.  By  the  blood-vessels,  in  the  form  of 

Subcutaneous  or  hypodermic  injections. 
Injections  into  veins. 

External  Methods, 
In  the  forms  of 

Lotions  and  liniments. 
Poultices  and  fomentations. 
Ointments,  plasters  and  charges. 


Ifedieation  by  the  Mouth  or  Nostrils, 

MEDICATIOX    BY   THE   MOUTH    OR   NOSTRILS. 


39 


A  ball  or  bolus  is  made  by  mixing  the  medicine  to  be 
given  with  linseed  meal,  molasses  or  soap,  to  bring  the  mass 
to  a  consistency  of  a  thick  paste,  and  then  rolling  it  out  in 
the  shape  of  a  small  cylinder,  about  twu  inches  long  by  a 
half  or  three-quarters  thick.  These  can  be  wrapped  in  oiled 
paper  or  coated  with  sugar  or  gum.  For  horses  this  is  the 
most  common  and  handy  method  of  giving  medicine.  What 
is  called  "  common  mass "  is  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of 
linseed  and  molasses,  and  is  much  used  for  giving  a  proper 
consistence  to  other  druo^*>. 

The  ball  may  be  administered  either  with  the  aid  of  the 
balling  iron  or  with  the  fingers,  and  the  latter  plan  is  gene- 
rally preferable.     The  operation  is  as  follows  :— 

The  ball  is  held  by  one  end  in  the  right  hand  between  the 
thumb,  which  supports  it  below,  and  the  fingers  above,  the 


FIG  2.— MODE   OF  ADMINISTERING   A   BALL   EY  THE  HAND. 

hand  being  drawn  together  and  rounded  as  nmch  as  possible. 
The  horse's  tongue  is  gently  drawn  out  a  little  way  by  the 


40  General  Principles  of  Yetei^inary  Iledidne. 

left  hand,  and  the  ball  passed  rapidly  along  the  roof  of  the 
mouth,  and  dropped  on  the  back  of  the  tongue.  The  hand 
is  quickly  withdrawn,  the  tongue  returned  to  the  mouth,  the 
jaws  closed  and  the  head  for  a  couple  of  minutes  held  slight- 
ly elevated,  and  the  side  of  the  neck  watched  to  see  the  ball 
swallowed  and  pass  down  the  throat. 

In  performing  this  operation  it  is  well  to  observe  the  fol- 
lowing rules : — 

1.  Take  the  horse  out  of  his  stall,  and  let  him  have  a 
halter  on,  held  by  an  assistant. 

2.  Stand  on  the  off  side  of  the  horse's  head,  and  be  sure 
J  hold  the  tongue  so  that  in  any  movement  the  horse  may 

make,  you  have  a  support  for  the  hand  against  the  lower 
jaw\ 

3.  Do  not  pull  on  the  tongue,  and  let  your  movements  be 
quiet  but  rapid. 

With  vicious  horses,  those  with  small  and  narrow  mouths, 
and  in  certain  diseases,  as  lockjaw  and  mad  staggers,  hallhvj 
irons  have  been  devised,  by  which  the  mouth  is  kept  open, 


FIG.    3. — SIMPLE   FOKM   OF  A   BALLING  IRON". 

and  the  ball  can  be  given  wdth  safety.  The  above  is  a 
sim^^le  form  •which  can  readily  be  made  of  iron  by  any  black- 
smith, of  size  to  suit. 

The  ball  is  sometimes  fastened  loosely  to  the  end  of  a  small 
stick,  and  thus  carried  to  the  back  part  of  the  tongue. 


Giving  Medicines  by  the  Mouth.  41 

Vapors,  Sprays,  and  Fumes  are  forms  of  medicines  drawn 
in  with  the  breath.  They  are  easy  of  administration,  and  of 
much  wider  use  than  most  veterinarians  take  advantage  of. 
Among  them,  the  ancestheticSy  chloroform  and  ether,  take  the 
first  rank.  A  sponge  in  a  loose  net  may  be  fastened  over  the 
head  of  the  animal,  the  mouth  having  previously  been  muz- 
zled, and  the  anaesthetic  poured  on  the  spoLge ;  or  it  may  be 
simply  held  to  the  nose. 

In  many  diseases  of  the  throat  and  Avindpipe,  as  catarrh, 
sore  throat  and  strangles,  steam,  either  pure,  or  from  water 
containing  vinegar,  laudanum,  belladonna,  sulphurous  acid, 
and  the  like,  will  give  great  and  prompt  relief.  The  steam 
is  readily  evolved  from  a  well  made  hot  bran  mash  placed  in 
a  roomy  nose  bag ;  or  the  head  of  the  animal  may  be  held 
over  a  bucket  of  hot  water,  plain  or  medicated,  from  which 
the  steam  is  driven  off  by  plunging  a  hot  iron  into  it  at  short 
intervals. 

Vapors  can  readily  be  produced  in  any  liquid  substance  by 
pLcing  it  in  what  is  called  an  atomizer.  The  most  conven- 
ient of  these  is  the  form  worked  by  the  hand  called  the 
"  hand  ball  atomizer.^'  For  diseases  of  the  nostrils,  mouth 
and  throat  this  is  a  valuable  instrument. 

For  disinfecting  purposes  and  for  treating  the  lining 
membrane  of  the  breathing  organs,  inhalations  of  smokes 
and  gases  are  of  service.  J^lowers  of  sulphur  on  hot  coals 
will  soon  fill  a  closed  stable  with  sulphurous  acid,  a  medical 
and  disinfecting  agent  of  great  power ;  burning  tar  is  asserted 
by  many  to  give  off  fumes  very  beneficial  in  chronic  cough ; 
chloride  of  lime  evolves  an  odorous  gas  of  value  in  contagious 
diseases,  and  which  keeps  away  flies  and  mosquitoes. 

Snuffs  are  used  to  bring  on  violent  expulsion  of  the  secre- 
tions of  the  nostrils,  thus  clearing  the  air  passages,  or  as  a 
local  application  to  diseases  of  the  inner  surface  of  the  nose. 
There  is  a  small  apparatus  used  to  throw  them  up,  consisting 


42  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

of  a  tube  and  a  hollow  rubber  ball,  by  pressure  on  which  the 
powder  is  forcibly  driven  up  the  nostrils  or  down  the  throat. 
But  a  hollow  reed  charged  with  the  powder  with  a  piece  of 
rubber  tubing  and  mouthpiece,  blown  forcibly  by  the  oper- 
ator, will  answer  quite  as  well. 

MEDICATION   BY   THE   RECTUM   OR   VAGINA. 

Injections  into  the  rectum  are  frequently  used  in  animals 
for  constipation,  piles,  colic,  and  whenever  the  object  is  to 
keep  the  bowels  in  order.  Their  use  will  often  take  the  place 
of  purgative  medicines  given  by  the  mouth.  In  thread 
worms  they  are  the  only  measures  worth  resorting  to.  When 
tepid  and  with  the  addition  of  laudanum  or  belladonna  they 
will  relieve  irritation  of  the  kidneys,  bowels  and  womb. 
After  giving  birth,  mares  and  cows  are  frequently  benefitted 
by  having  the  vagina  washed  out  with  a  mild  disinfectant,  as 
a  weak  solution  of  pe^p^ianganate  of  potash  or  sulphurous  acid. 

When  intended  to  be  retained  and  absorbed,  injections  in 
the  horse  and  ox  should  not  exceed  two  or  three  pints ;  but 
when  the  object  is  to  produce  evacuation  of  the  bowels,  three 
or  four  times  this  amount  may  be  used.  In  case  of  obstinate 
obstruction  of  the  bowels  very  large  injections  with  an  extra 
long  tube  are  required,  and  are  generally  successful,  if  com- 
menced early. 

Quite  a  variety  of  apparatus  has  been  invented  to  give  in- 
jections. The  ordinary  barrel  syringe  is  often  used.  The 
ball  syringe  is  more  convenient,  as  it  saves  all  pumping  and 
refilling.  Probably  better  than  all  is  the  ^'  Fountain  Syringe," 
which  works  by  the  force  of  gravity.  An  open  rubber  bag, 
holding  half  a  gallon,  may  be  suspended  several  feet  above 
the  animars  back ;  from  this  a  half-inch  tube  of  rubber  or 
leather,  the  end  of  which  is  well  oiled  and  inserted  into  the 
rectum,  conveys  the  fluid  into  the  gut  without  any  exertion 


Giving  Mediclms  by  Injections,  43 

and  in  any  desired  quantity.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  any 
force  is  required.  The  fluid  will  fall  by  the  force  of  gravity, 
and  as  the  intestinal  canal  is  in  animals  when  standing,  lower 
than  the  outer  opening  of  the  gut,  the  injection  will  slowly 
but  surely  penetrate  without  the  use  of  force. 

Another  useful  instrument  on  the  same  plan  is  Professol 
Gamgee's  Funnel.  It  consists  of  a  straight  metallic  tube,  12 
Indies  long,  tapered  and  rounded  off  at  one  end,  bent  at  a 
right  angle  at  the  opposite  extremity,  which  supports  a  broad 
funnel  about  6  inches  deep  and  7  in  its  greatest  diameter. 
Its  extremity  should  be  oiled  and  introduced  into  the  rectum, 
and  the  fluid  poured  into  the  funnel.  The  injection  may  be 
repeated  every  quarter  of  an  hour  until  relief  is  experienced. 


riG.  4. — PKOF.  gamgee's  funnel  for  injection. 

Suppositories.  Almost  all  medicines  may  be  given  to 
animals  in  the  same  doses,  by  the  rectum  as  by  the  mouth. 
They  may  be  made  in  a  solid  form,  something  like  a  ball, 
by  means  of  soap,  lard,  or  starch,  and  are  then  called  sup- 
positories. A  cylinder  of  soap  introduced  into  the  rectum 
of  young  foals  and  calves  encourages  the  action  of  the 
bowels  and  ducts  more  promptly  than  a  purge.  Supposi- 
tories may  be  made  with  disinfectants  and  introduced  into 


44  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

the  vagina  of  cows  after  calving  to  purify  the  discharges 
and  lessen  the  danger  of  puerperal  fever. 


MEDICATIONS    BY   THE   BLOOD-VESSELS. 

The  most  safe  and  convenient  plan  to  introduce  medicines 
into  the  system  is  by  the  hypodermie  syringe.  This  is  a 
small  syringe,  holding  a  few  teaspoonfuls,  with  a  long 
needle-like  point,  through  which  a  delicate  canal  is  pierced. 


PIG.   6.— THE  HYPODEKMIC   SYRINGE. 

This  has  been  used  extensively  for  many  years  in  human 
patients,  and  is  even  better  adapted  to  animals,  on  accoimt 
of  the  difficulty  of  forcing  them  to  take  remedies,  and  the 
more  prompt  and  certain  action  of  the  subcutaneous  method. 
Of  course,  very  concentrated  forms  of  medicines  are  used,  as 
but  a  few  drops  or  a  half  teaspoonful  are  thrown  by  the 
syringe  at  a  time.  But  modern  chemistry  offers  such  potent 
and  intense  preparations  that  this  is  no  objection. 

In  giving  a  hypodermic  injection  it  is  not  very  important 
what  part  of  the  animal  we  choose,  though  the  general  rule 
is  to  select  a  point  near  the  seat  of  disease.  It  is  best  to 
shave  or  clip  the  hair  for  a  space  of  a  few  inches;  next, 
pinching  up  the  skin  a  slight  cut  is  made  in  one  end  of  the 
little  ridge  thus  elevated  and  the  nozzle  of  the  syringe  in- 
serted and  pushed  its  full  length,  parallel  to  the  surface,  in 
the  loose  tissue  beneath  the  ridge;  then  it  is  withdrawn  half 
way  and  the  contents  of  the  syringe  thrown  slowly  and 


Injections  and  Lotions »  45 

steadily  into  the  canal  thus  made;  finally  the  syringe  is 
withdrawn,  and  the  finger  held  for  a  minute  over  the  wound 
to  prevent  the  fluid  escaping.  This  slight  and  almost  pain- 
less operation  can  after  a  little  practice  be  performed  with 
such  ease,  that  it  cannot  but  become  a  favorite  method  of 
administration.  We  shall  give  the  doses  and  preparations 
called  for  in  many  disease,  by  this  plan. 

Injections  into  the  veins  have  been  at  times  employed  with 
success.  The  jugular  vein,  which  is  easily  accessible  in  all 
animals,  underneath  the  skin  at  the  upper  part  of  the  neck, 
is  the  one  selected  by  preference.  It  is  opened  with  a  com- 
mon fleam,  and  the  liquid  injected  with  a  syringe.  Only 
small  quantities  can  be  used  in  this  manner.  They  should 
be  well  strained  and  clear,  and  warmed  to  the  temperature 
of  the  blood,  which  is  98°  Fah.  Milk  and  the  blood  of 
healthy  animals  can  be  thrown  into  the  veins  of  weak  and 
exhausted  ones,  and  often  the  system  is  much  benefitted. 
But  beyond  this,  the  use  of  intra- venous  injections  is  likely 
to  be  limited. 

EXTERNAL  METHODS. 

Lotions  are  fluid  preparations  generally  made  up  extempo- 
raneously and  used  for  washing  or  bathing  the  part.  For 
bruises  and  sprains  cooling  lotions  are  prepared  "with  nitre, 
sal  ammoniac  and  water,  vinegar  and  water,  dilute  alcohol 
or  simple  cold  water.  Astringent  lotions  containing  tannic 
acid,  sugar  of  lead,  etc.,  are  valuable  in  moist  skin  diseases. 
Anodyne  lotions  relieve  heat  and  pain  in  inflammation ;  and 
inflamed  eyes  are  treated  with  cool  or  slightly  astringent 
lotions. 

When  the  fluid  is  used  for  rubbing  on  the  part,  it  is  called 
a  liniment  or  embrocation.  These  are  very  extensively  em- 
ployed in  veterinary  medicine  for  chronic  swellings,  painfu) 


46  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Ifedicine, 

joints  and  muscles,  for  dispersing  tumors,  and  stimulating 
internal  organs. 

Poultices  are  soft  and  moist  applications,  intended  to 
soothe,  soften  and  relax  the  surfaces  to  wliich  they  are  ap- 
plied. They  may  be  cold  or  hot,  and  may  be  either  plain 
or  medicated.  Hot  poultices  are  commonly  made  of  linseed 
meal,  bran  or  hot  mush,  with  a  sufficiency  of  boiling  Avater 
to  bring  them  to  a  suitable  consistence.  Hot  poultices 
encourage  suppuration  and  should  not  be  applied  to  fresh 
wounds. 

Cold  poultices  are  made  in  the  same  way  a^  hot  poultices, 
and  allowed  to  grow  cold. 

Powders  are  generally  mixed  with  the  animal's  food  or 
stirred  in  gruel  or  soft  feed.  But  unless  agreeable  to  the 
taste  they  will  be  refused  in  this  form.  When  small  in 
quantity  they  may  be  dropped  on  the  tongue.  Most  reme- 
dies can  be  obtained  in  this  form,  and  it  is  for  tasteless  or 
pleasant  ones  the  most  convenient  form  in  which  to  admin- 
ister them.  Their  effect  is  as  a  rule  not  so  prompt  as  when 
given  in  solution. 

Drenche3,  Drafts  or  Drinks.  All  varieties  of  liquid  medi- 
cines may  be  administered  by  these  methods.  When  taste- 
less or  palateable  to  the  animal  th'  y  may  be  mixed  with  its 
ordinary  beverage,  water  or  milk,  as  the  case  may  be.  When 
such  is  not  tlie  case  they  must  be  poured  down  the  throat, 
constituting  what  farmers  call  a  drench. 

The  quantity  so  administered  at  a  time  should  not  be  too 
great;  for  a  horse,  one  to  two  pints,  for  an  ox,  one  to  two 
quarts,  for  a  sheep  or  pig  half  a  pint,  are  tlie  proper 
amounts.  The  instrument  often  used  is  a  strong  glass 
bottle;  but  one  made  of  block  tin,  and  flattened,  is  safer. 


071  Drenching  Horses.  47 

Best  of  all  is  the  old-fashioned  drenchtng-horn,  ^vhen  one 
has  had  a  \\ii\Q  practice  with  it,  and  kno\ys  how  to  manage 
it.  The  most  desirable  shape  is  one  in  which  the  point  of 
the  horn  turns  downward,  while  the  large  end  has  an  oblique 
opening  turned  in  the  upward  direction,  as  in  this  figure : 


FIG.  6. — THE  BEST  SHAPE  OF  A  DRENCHING  HORN. 

Drenches  ought  always  to  be  thoroughly  mixed  and  well- 
shaken  before  being  given,  and  if  a  violent  fit  of  coughing 
comes  on  during  their  administration,  they  should  be  sus- 
pended and  the  animal  set  free  for  a  few  minutes. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  give  special  directions  for  drench- 
ing various  animals,  adopting  as  our  guide  that  able  veteri- 
narian, Prof.  John  Gamgee. 

RULES   FOR   DRENCHING   A   HORSE. 

As  regards  the  process  of  exhibiting  a  drench  to  a  horse, 
it  is  not  always  well  understood;  and  hence  serious  and  fatal 
consequences  have  resulted  from  the  exhibition  of  remedies 
in  the  liquid  form. 

The  rules  to  observe  are : 

First,  Hold  the  horse's  head  up  at  a  moderate  height, 
so  that  the  line  of  the  face  is  horizontal. 

Secondly,  Secure  the  tongue  to  prevent  the  lapping  out  of 
the  liquid,  but  allow  of  sufficient  movement  of  lips,  tongue, 
cheeks,  and  jaws,  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  first  act  of 
swallowing.     To  draw  the  tongue  forcibly  outwards  is  very 


48  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

injudicious,  as  if  the  tongue  be  stretched  it  does  not  aid  in 
pressing  back  the  fluid,  which  gravitates  as  the  tongue  is 
pulled  upon,  and  the  larynx  and  pharynx  advance; — the 
animal  may  thus  be  choked. 


FIG.  7. — HOLDING  A  HORSE  FOR  DRENCHING. 

Thirdly,  If  an  animal  makes  an  effort  to  cough,  rather 
lose  the  draught  than  risk  the  danger  of  choking,  which  so 
readily  occurs  if  fluid  be  suddenly  thrown  over  the  tongue. 

Fourthly,  Entice  efforts  of  swallowing,  should  the  horse 


On  Drenching  Horses  and  Oxen.  49 

obstinately  and  artfully  retain  the  liquid  in  his  mouth. 
This  is  effected  by  rubbing  the  throat,  and  exerting  pressure 
in  the  space  between  the  lower  jaw  bones. 

The  methods  of  holding  horses  during  the  exhibition  of  a 
draught  are  various,  but  the  most  important  ones  are  three. 
In  the  first  place,  by  lopes  and  pulleys  a  horse's  head  is 
pulled  up  from  a  beam  or  other  high  object  in  a  stable  or 
shed.  This  is  very  objectionable,  especially  in  a  vicious 
horse ;  and  it  does  not  answer  better  than  the  second  manner 
of  introducing  a  rope  noose  over  the  upper  jaw.  This  noose 
is  attached  to  a  stick,  or  slipped  over  a  stable-fork  prong 
(see  Fig.  7) ;  and  a  man  can  then  hold  up  the  head  of  the 
heaviest  horse  and  follow  him  in  his  movements.  It  requires 
management. 

In  Fig.  8  the  third  manner  of  holding  a  horse's  head 
up  and  exhibiting  a  drench  is  represented.  It  is  the  most 
simple  and  useful  method.  It  only  requires  one  person,  who 
holds  the  tongue,  places  his  thumb  round  the  lower  jaw,  and 
with  his  fingers  causes  the  horse  to  open  his  mouth  whilst 
the  draught  is  poured  out  of  the  horn  with  the  right  hand. 

In  cases  of  lock-jaw  or  tetanus,  it  is  difficult  to  exhibit 
even  fluid  medicines  to  horses.  There  are  two  useful  meth- 
ods, however,  to  accomplish  this.  The  first  is  by  the  intro- 
duction of  a  tube  into  the  gullet  through  the  mouth; 
and  the  second  is  by  pouring  or  pumping  the  fluid  through 
the  nose.  The  objections  to  the  latter  procedure  are  not  so 
w^eighty  as  at  first  sight  may  appear,  provided  the  fluid  is  a 
perfect  solution,  and  poured  down  the  inferior  or  posterior 
channel  of  the  nostril  with  care. 

RULES   FOR   GIVING   DRENCHES   TO   THE   OX. 

The  horn  should  always  be  used.  The  manner  of  hold- 
ing the  horn,  of  securing  the  animal,  and  giving  the  drench, 
is  clearly  represented  in  Fig.  9. 

4 


50  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

The  chief  points  to  attend  to  are — [a)  not  to  irritate  the 
animal ;  {h)  always  to  attempt  the  operation  from  the  right 
side ;  (c)  seize  hold  of  the  upper  jaw  by  passing  the  left  hand 
over  the  head ;  and  bend  the  latter  far  round  to  the  right ; 


FIG.  8. — HOLDING  A  HORSE  FOR  DEEXCHING. 

tliis  simple  contrivance  very  effectually  tames  or  disarms  even 
a  vicious  bull,  ox,  or  cow ;  {d)  the  operator  should  stand  well 
witli  his  back  against  the  animaFs  shoulder,  propping  him- 


How  to  Drench  Cattle. 


61 


self  up  with  the  right  leg ;  to  do  this  the  animal  should, 
especially  if  awkward,  be  against  a  wall  on  its  left  side.  An 
incautious  person  may  be  severely  bruised  and  thrown  into 
the  manger  by  proceeding  up  to  the  head  of  a  cow,  not  get- 
ting full  command  of  the  animal,  and  presenting  his  back  to 


FIG.   9. — DRENCHING   AN  OX. 

its  hind  extremities,  with  which  an  ox  can  strike  effectually 
forwards. 

Sometimes  the  organs  of  swallowing  are  paralysed  in  cat- 
tle, as  in  cases  of  parturient  apoplexy  ;  at  other  times  there 
are  foreign  substances  impacted  in  the  gullet.     "With  the 


52  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

view  of  displacing  the  foreign  object  in  the  one  instance,  and 
of  introducing  medicines  in  the  fluid  state  in  the  stomach 
under  any  emergency,  a  hollow  probang  may  be  used.  The 
fluids  may  also  be  forced  into  the  stomach  by  the  pumping 
action  of  a  syringe. 

The  probang  is  guided  through  the  centre  of  the  moutn 
by  a  gag.  We  give  the  drawing  of  two  forms.  Fig.  10 
is  probably  the  best. 


FIG.    10. AN    OX   GAG. 

The  advantage  it  has  over  the  common  gag  is,  that  it  is 
tied  by  a  rope  to  the  mouth,  and  then,  in  virtue  of  its  shape, 
it  is  a  more  complete  guide  to  the  probang  than  the  instru- 
ment represented  at  Fig.  10.  The  latter  is  the  common 
gag,  to  be  heldnn  the  animaPs  mouth  by  an  assistant,  whilst 
the  operator  uses  the  probang. 


FIG.   11. — AN  OX   GAG. 

As  the  first  stomach  of  ruminants  is  very  capacious  and 
lies  flat  against  the  left  side  of  the  belly,  an  expedient  has 


The   Use  of  Trochars.  63 

been  adopted  of  puncturing  the  stomach  to  evacuate  it,  or 
to  introduce  into  it  medicinal  agents.  The  stomach  is  punc- 
tured by  trochars,  such  as  are  represented  by  Figs.  12  and  12. 
The  first  has  a  cylindrical  canula  and  stilety  the  canula  being 
somewhat  less  than  a  thu'd  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  three 
and  a-half  inches  in  length.  The  one  represented  by  Fig.  13 
is  flattened,  and  the  canula  half-an-inch  in  its  greatest  width, 
and  four  and  a-half  inches  in  length. 


PIG.    12. — A   TROCHAE, 


FIG.    13. — A   TEOCHAH. 

These  trochars  are  used  in  the  following  manner: — A 
spot  is  chosen  midway  between  the  last  rib  and  the  lower 
part  of  the  haunch  bone,  and  about  eight  or  nine  inches  below 
the  bony  knobs  of  the  backbone  of  the  cow ;  a  small  incision 
is  made  through  the  skin  with  a  lancet  or  bistoury,  and 
then  the  trochar  is  pushed  with  sufficient  force  and  impulse 
at  once  to  penetrate  the  walls  of  the  belly  and  rumen. 

INJECTION   OF   FLUIDS   INTO   THE   NOSE. 

Fluids  are  sometimes  poured  into  the  nose  that  they  may 
be  swallowed  ;  but  usually  the  internal  exhibition  of  reme- 
edies  by  the  nose  is  effected  by  means  of  a  stomach-pump, 
with  a  long  flexible  tuble.  The  practice  is  an  objectionable 
one,  but  may,  under  certain  circumstances,  be  absolutely 
indispensable. 

The  introduction  of  liquids  into  the  nostrils  to  exert  a 


54  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Iledicine. 

curative  iDfluence  on  its  lining  membrane  is  a  more  com- 
mon practice,  and  attended  with  much  good.  The  old 
method  of  performing  this  operation  is  siniply  to  use  a 
syringe,  or  to  elevate  the  head  and  pour  lotions,  etc.,  into 
the  nose. 

Professor  Rey  has  adopted  a  very  simple  and  satisfactory 
procedure.  It  consists  in  causing  the  fluid  to  rise  in  each 
nostril  by  atmospheric  pressure,  and  when  the  one  division 
of  the  nose  is  thus  filled,  the  liquid  passes  over,  and  is  seen 
to  flow  out  at  the  opposite  nostril.  In  this  way  the  liquid 
most  effectually  touches  every  part  of  the  membrane,  and  a 
mild  solution  of  sulphate  of  zinc  or  copper,  and  other  seda- 
tive, astringent,  or  antiseptic  lotion,  may  be  brought  in  con- 
tact with  the  suppurating  or  ulcered  surface.  The  instru- 
ment which  Professor  Rey  employs  for  this  purpose  is  drawn 
at  Fig.  14.  The  long  tube  is  fifteen  inches  in  length,  and 
one  and  a-half  inches  in  diameter,  expanding  and  funnel- 
shaped  above,  where  the  broadest  part  is  two  inches  wide. 


-TUBE   FOE,   WASHING   THE   KOSTEILS. 


The  short  arm  is  five  inches  in  length,  and  the  aperture  two- 
thirds  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Over  the  short  arm  is  passed 
a  closely-fitting  leather  ring,  four  and  a-half  inches  in  diam- 
eter. This  serves  as  the  surface  over  which,  and  round  the 
short  arm,  wet  tow  may  be  adapted,  so  that,  on  introducing 
the  small  tube  in  the  nostril,  the  latter  is  compressed  care- 
fully on  the  tow;  at  the  same  time  fluid  is  poured  into 
the  funnel,  and  rises  in  the  nasal  chamber.  If  the  horse's 
head  be  bent  in,  and  held  as  much  as  possible  in  a  perpen- 


Giving  Medicines  by  the  Nose,  65 

dicular  position,  the  lotion  will  pass  out  at  the  opposite  nos- 
tril. We  sometimes  have  a  little  difficulty  in  performing 
this  maneuvre  with  awkward  horses,  but  by  quiet  means 
they  are  soon  accustomed  to  the  operation.  Some  persons 
advocate  twitching ;  occasionally  the  ear  may  be  twitched  ; 
the  animals  sometimes  require  to  be  blindfolded,  but  at 
others  it  is  best  to  let  them  see  what  is  being  done ;  and  most 
frequently  not  the  slightest  trouble  attends  the  injection.  It 
is  an  invaluable  method  of  using  remedies  in  the  treatment 
of  diseases  of  the  nose. 

Fomentations  are  applied  by  wrapping  the  part  to  be 
treated  in  flannel  bandages  or  horse  cloths,  and  keeping 
these  wrappings  constantly  wet  with  tlie  liquid  employed. 
This  may  be  simple  water,  cold  or  hot,  or  mixed  with  vine- 
gar, laudanum,  an  antiseptic,  or  any  other  appropriate  reme- 
dy. The  wrap  should  be  covered  with  a  layer  of  rubber 
cloth  or  oil  cloth  to  retain  the  moisture.  For  small  surfa- 
ces, a  sponge  or  a  soft  piece  of  rag,  tow,  lint  or  oakum  is 
appropriate. 

They  are  usually  applied  to  cleanse  and  soothe  irritable 
-wounds ;  to  relieve  external  or  superficial  inflammation ;  and 
to  reduce  internal  inflammation  as  in  pleurisy,  pneumonia  or 
acute  kidney  disease.  In  ordinary  use  they  ^re  apt  to  be 
withdrawn  before  they  have  done  much  good.  To  obtain 
their  full  benefits  they  should  be  continued  several  hours, 
fresh  supplies  of  the  liquid  being  added  as  often  as  the  tem- 
perature of  the  cloths  fall  or  they  begin  to  dry. 

A  very  serviceable  and  convenient  method  of  fomenting 
is  to  take  a  sheep-skin  with  plenty  of  wool  on  it,  wring  it 
out  in  hot  water  and  apply  it  to  the  part.  After  the  opera- 
tion is  finished,  the  parts  should  be  rubbed  dry  and  well 
clothed,  in  order  to  prevent  the  rapid  fall  of  temperature 
and  consequent  chill,  which  otherwise  is  liable  to  occur.     A» 


56  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

a  farther  means  of  guarding  against  this,  the  fomented  sur- 
faces may  have  a  light  dressing  of  mustard  rubbed  into  them. 

Ointments  are  prepared  by  mixing  the  drug  to  be  used 
with  lard,  butter,  or  cerate,  or  what  is  far  better,  the  petro- 
leum product  called  petroleum  ointment,  cosmoline  or 
vaseline.  This  substance  never  becomes  rancid,  has  no 
unpleasant  odor,  and  by  adding  wax  or  parafine  can  be 
made  of  any  desired  thickness.  Ointments  are  of  especial 
use  in  diseases  of  the  skin  and  hair,  though  as  their  ingre- 
dients can  be  absorbed  by  the  skin,  they  are  sometimes 
employed  to  introduce  medicines  into  the  system. 

Plasters  are  solid  adhesive  substances  usually  containing 
litharge,  with  resin,  wax,  soap,  tar  or  pitch.  They  are  not 
very  useful  in  veterinary  practice,  and  when  employed  it  is 
usually  in  the  form  of  charges.  These  are  where  the  ingre- 
dients of  the  plaster  are  melted  or  pom-ed  directly  on  the 
skin.  They  are  then  covered  with  ravelled  tow  or  lint,  and 
confined  by  a  linen  or  leathern  bandage.  In  former  times 
this  was  a  popular  practice  with  farriers,  but  has  gone  some- 
what out  of  date. 

They  are  well  adapted  as  a  dressing  to  slow  inflammations, 
particular  of  the  joints,  ligaments,  tendons  or  feet.  They  are 
even  more  useful  in  joint  affections  in  cattle  than  in  horses,  and 
sometimes  benefit  such  cases  when  other  means  have  failed. 
They  are,  however,  often  difficult  to  apply  and  keep  upon 
the  part,  and  for  this  reason  can  generally  be  superseded  by 
water  dressings,  lotions  and  fomentations. 

WEIGHTS   AXD   MEASURES. 

The  weights  and  measures  used  by  veterinarians  are  the 
apothecaries'  weight  and  wine  measure. 


Weights  and  Meamres,  67 

apothecaries'  weight. 


60  grains 

= 

1  drachm. 

8  drachms 

= 

1  ounce. 

16  ounces 

= 

1  pound. 

^TINE 

1    MEASURE. 

60  drops 

= 

1  drachm. 

8  drachms 

= 

1  ounce. 

16  ounces 

= 

1  pint. 

8  pints 

=  . 

1  gallon. 

For  nearly  all  practical  purposes,  quantities  of  fluids  may 

be  measured  in  familiar  domestic 

utensils  to  correspond 

to 

the  above  table,  as  follows : 

60  drops             =  1 

teaspoonful      =  1  drachm. 

4  teaspoonfuls  =  1 

tablespoonfui  =  J  ounce. 

2  tablespoonfuls 

=  1  ounce. 

1  wineglassful 

=  2  ounces. 

1  teacupful 

=  4  ounces. 

1  tumblerful 

=  J  pint. 

1  tincupful 

=  1  pint. 

As  a  familiar  manner  of  estimating  weights  in  dry  measure, 
"we  may  say 

A  handful  of  linseed,  aniseed,  etc.  =  2  ounces. 

"  dried  leaves  =  1  ounce. 

A  hen's  egg  :l^  2  ounces. 

Three  silver  half-dollars  =  1  ounce. 

By  the  use  of  these  familiar  standards,  it  will  nearly 
always  be  practicable  to  obtain  all  the  accuracy  needed  in 
giving  medicine  to  the  lower  animals. 


58  General  Principles  of  Veterinary/  Medicine, 

CHAPTER  lY. 

VHTERINARY  SURGICAL    INSTRUMENTS    AND    MINOR 
SURGICAL    OPERATIONS. 

The  Veterinary  Pochet  Case  and  its  Contents — Preparations 
,     for    Operating — Bleeding — Setons — Firing — Sutwes — 
Operations  on  the  Teeth — Blistering. 

Every  stock  owner  who  would  qualify  himself  to  take 
proper  care  of  the  animals  he  possesses,  should  provide  him- 
self with  a  small  pocket  case  of  veterinary  surgical  instru- 
ments, which  he  should  keep  always  sharp  and  clean,  and 
use  for  their  intended  purpose,  and  no  other.  What  such  a 
case  should  contain,  and  the  uses  of  each  instrument,  we 
shall  now  explain.  In  doing  so,  we  shall  preface  it  with  the 
remark  that  our  endeavor  will  be  to  mention  only  the  most 
important  instruments,  and  those  in  the  use  of  which  any 
intelligent  man  can  qualify  himself  by  a  very  moderate 
practice  on  dead  animals — a  form  of  education  we  earnestly 
recommend. 

AYe  have  taken  some  pains  to  select,  with  the  aid  of  the 
advice  of  practical  men  in  this  department,  a  "  Stock  Owner's 
Pocket  Veterinary  Case",  which  is  represented  in  the  cut  on 
the  following  page.  It  contains  nine  diiTerent  instruments, 
sufficient  in  number  and  variety  for  nearly  all  the  lesser 
operations  which  an  intelligent  owner,  not  a  professed  sur- 
geon, would  be  called  upon  to  perform.  The  instruments 
and  their  uses  are  as  follows : 

1.  A  blunt  pointed  6is^oi6r?/,  slightly  curved,  for  operations 
under  the  skin,  in  cavities,  etc. 

2.  A  thumb  lancet.  This  form  is  safer  than  the  ordinary 
spring  lancet,  and  much  superior  to  the  old-fashioned  fleam, 


Btoch  Owner^s  Pocket  Veterinary  Case,  59 


FIG.   15. — STOCK  owner's  POCKET   VETEKINARY   CASE. 

The  above  cut  represents  a  convenient  pocket  case  of  Morocco  or  Rus- 
sia leather,  containing  the  instruments  most  essential  in  the  performance 
of  minor  surgical  operations  on  animals.  The  case  is  represented  unfol- 
ded, and  the  instruments  are  displayed  in  the  following  order,  from  above 
downwards : 

A  blunt  pointed  bistoury. 

A  thumb  lancet. 

A  spring  forceps. 

An  aneurism  needle. 

A  silver  probe. 

A  frog  knife. 

A  curved  scissors. 

A  bistoury. 

A  seton  needle. 


60  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medlaine. 

now  almost  obsolete.     The  exact  depth  and  length  of  the 
cut  can  best  be  judged  by  the  ordinary  thumb  lancet. 

3.  A  pair  of  forceps,  for  dressing  wounds,  catching  arteries 
for  tying,  removing  foreign  bodies,  etc. 

4.  A  long  blunt  pointed  needle,  called  an  aneurismal 
needle,  which  can  be  used  as  a  probe,  and  for  small  setons,  etc. 

6.  A  silver  probe,  blunt  at  one  end,  sharp  at  the  other  for 
exploring  wounds. 

6.  A  frog  knife,  having  a  narrow  straight  blade,  curved 
into  a  strong  sharp  hook  at  the  end ;  very  useful  in  cleaning 
hoofs,  etc. 

7.  A  pair  of  curved  scisso7^s,  for  trimming  the  edges  of 
wounds,  cutting  hair,  etc. 

8.  A  straight  broad  scalpel,  for  opening  abscesses,  cas- 
trating, etc. 

9.  A  seton  needle,  for  introducing  tapes,  etc.  In  addition 
to  these  the  case  contains  half  a  dozen  surgical  needles 
and  thread,  and  two  inside  pockets  for  paper,etc. 

Such  a  set  of  instruments,  made  in  the  best  manner  and 
furnished  in  a  neat  and  durable  morocco  case,  should  be 
bought  for  ten  dollars;  and  in  order  that  they  may  be 
obtained  of  good  quality  and  with  little  trouble,  we  have 
arranged  with  the  publishers  of  this  work  that  they  shall 
supply  them  at  the  above  price,  when  requested. 

PREPARATIONS   FOR   OPERATING. 

Fastening  the  Animal. — In  performing  operations  on  ani- 
mals, it  is  of  the  first  importance,  both  for  the  safety  of  the 
operator  and  the  successful  achievement  of  his  task,  that  the 
patient  be  firmly  secured. 

Usually  this  can  conveniently  be  done  by  "  casting  ^'  or 
throwing  the  animal  by  means  of  a  hobble  attached  to  all 
four  feet,  which  are  then  drawn  rapidly  together  by  assist- 


Ancesthdics.  61 

ants,  and  the  horse  pushed  over  on  his  side.  A  single  limb 
can  then  be  loosened  and  held  by  a  strap  around  the  fetlock 
in  the  hands  of  a  reliable  man,  while  another  sits  on  the 
horse's  head. 

The  arrangement  called  the  "  trevis  "  or  *^  break  "  is  a  nar- 
row pen,  six  feet  long  and  three  wide,  with  stout  corner  posts 
and  side  rails  on  both  sides  and  one  end.  The  horse  is  led 
into  it  at  the  open  end,  which  is  then  closed  with  a  bar.  His 
legs  are  fastened  to  each  post  by  broad  leather  straps ;  and  he 
may  be  suspended  to  the  side  pieces  by  a  stqut  band  under 
the  belly.  In  this  position,  with  his  head  secured,  he  can 
neither  bite  nor  kick. 

Anaesthetics. — In  most  painful  operations,  when  not  about 
the  mouth  (where  the  flow  of  blood  might  strangulate  an  un- 
conscious animal),  it  is  a  humane  procedure  to  chloroform  the 
animal.  Horses  have  generally  to  be  cast  before  the  inhala- 
tion can  be  affected.  The  chloroform  should  be  poured  on  a 
sponge,  a  teaspoonful  or  two  at  a  time,  and  held  to  the  nos- 
trils, not,  however,  continuously,  as  the  vapor  of  chloroform 
undiluted  with  atmospheric  air  is  a  fatal  poison.  The  animal 
should  be  closely  watched,  and  as  soon  as  unconsciousness  is 
produced  the  anaesthetic  should  be  suspended,  and  renewed 
from  time  to  time  until  the  operation  is  complete. 

Nausea  and  depression  continue  usually  for  some  hours 
afterwards.  Should  the  pulse  fail,  and  the  respiration  grow 
shallow  and  irregular,  buckets  of  cold  water  must  be  dashed 
on  the  body,  and  artificial  respiration  be  continued  for  a  time 
by  blowing  gently  with  a  pair  of  bellows  into  the  mouth  or 
nostrils,  and  alternately  pressing  upon  and  releasing  the  ribs, 
thus  imitating  the  natural  acts  of  respiration.  Pieces  of  ice 
inserted  into  the  rectum  or  vagina  act  also  as  powerful  restor- 
atives. 

Many  practitioners  use  the  chloroform  pure,  and  thus  em- 


62  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

ployed  its  effects  are  more  rapid  ;  but  tliey  are  also  more  dan- 
gerous. For  that  reason  we  recommend  the  following  anaes- 
thetic mixture  in  preference,  which  comes  endorsed  by  high 
authority  after  extensive  employment : 

No.  12.  Alcohol,  1  oz. 

Chloroform,  2  oz. 

Ether,  3  oz. 
Shake  the  bottle  well  on  using  it. 

This  will  be  found  effective  with  all  sorts  of  animals,  and 
requires  but  two  or  three  minutes  to  overpower  with  safety 
the  struggles  of  the  strongest  horse  or  ox. 


BLEEDING. 

So  much  has  been  said  of  late  years  on  the  abuse  of 
bleeding,  that  we  might  suppose  that  sound  ideas  on  the 
subject  had  penetrated  as  far  as  the  brain  of  the  ordinary 
farrier.  But  we  have  strong  grounds  for  the  belief  that 
this  is  not  the  case,  and  throughout  the  States  it  is  a  very- 
common  practice  to  bleed  in  diseases  of  stock  far  more  than 
there  is  any  reason  or  safety  in  doing. 

There  are  cases  where  prompt  and  bold  bleeding  is  by 
common  consent  the  only  chance  for  life,  as  we  shall  see  in 
the  later  pages  of  this  book,  so  the  lancet  should  still  be  in 
every  veterinary  case,  ready  for  immediate  use. 

In  the  horse  and  ox,  the  jugular  vein,  which  runs  promi- 
nently up  the  side  of  the  neck,  is  the  one  usually  chosen 
from  which  to  draw  blood.  The  blood-vessels  of  the  palate 
or  roof  of  the  mouth  are  chosen  by  some,  especially  in 
staggers  and  brain  diseases.  If  the  jugular  is  pressed  upon 
by  the  finger,  a  little  below  the  spot  selected  for  the  incision, 
it  will  in  a  few  moments  become  distended  and  prominent. 
The  horse  should  be  blindfolded  and  a  thumb  lancet  used. 


Bleeding,  63 

The  quantity  of  blood  taken  depends  upon  the  object  in 
view,  but  to  make  any  decided  impression  on  an  adult 
animal  of  either  species,  at  least  six  or  seven  quarts  should 
be  dravv^n. 

When  the  flow  has  ceased  the  two  lips  of  the  wound  are 
raised  between  the  fingers,  a  small  common  pin  run  through 
them  and  some  thread  twisted  across  and  over  it,  to  keep  it 
in  place. 

In  the  sheep,  bleeding  from  the  jugular  vein  is  also  most 
efficient.  But  some  veterinarians  ♦prefer  the  angular  or 
cheek  vein.  ♦  This  is  to  be  found  in  the  cheek,  at  a  spot  equi- 
distant from  the  eye  and  the  mouth,  just  below  the  bony 
tubercle  which  marks  the  insertion  of  the  fourth  tooth  into 
the  upper  jaw.  The  incision  should  be  made  from  b^low 
upwards,  half  an  inch  below  the  middle  of  the  tubercle. 
Others  again  prefer  the  eye  vein.  To  divide  this  the 
point  of  a  knife  is  inserted  near  the  lower  extremity  of  the 
pouch  below  the  eye ;  the  point  is  pressed  downward  and  a 
cut  made  inward  toward  the  middle  of  the  face. 

In  swine,  bleeding  is  usually  performed  in  an  off-hand 
way,  by  cutting  off  the  end  of  the  ear  or  the  tail.  Pigs 
are  such  unmanageable  patients,  that  it  is  both  difficult  and 
dangerous  to  attempt  refinements  of  treatment  with  them. 
When  practicable,  however,  it  is  neater  to  turn  the  ear  back 
and  by  pressing  firmly  on  its  base  with  the  thumb,  to  bring 
into  prominence  some  of  the  veins,  which  may  then  be  cut 
across.  Or  a  cord  can  be  tied  tightly  around  the  fore  leg 
above  the  knee,  when  the  brachial  vein  will  be  seen  to  fill 
up,  and  can  readily  be  lanced.  This  vein  is  on  the  inside  of 
the  leg,  and  should  be  opened  about  an  inch  above  the  knee. 

SETONS. 

These  are  tapes,  fine  wires  or  threads,  which  are  passed 
underneath  the  sldn,  entering  at  one  point  and  emerging  at 


64  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

another,  the  ends  knotted  together  to  prevent  dropping  out. 
They  are  usually  smeared  with  an  irritant  salve,  and  turned 
every  day  or  two,  so  as  to  keep  up  a  constant  irritation  and 
discharge  from  the  part.  The  seton  needle  used  for  their  in- 
troduction is  about  six  inches  long. 

They  act  very  satisfactorily  in  some  cases  of  bone  disease, 
but  where  the  lameness  is  owing  to  strained  sinews  or  liga- 
ments they  are  out  of  place,  as  they  leave  additional  thicken- 
ing. They  are  also  valuable  in  healing  old  fistulas,  being 
inserted  the  whole  leng^i  of  the  canal,  and  setting  up  a  new 
and  healthy  inflammation  in  its  sides.  As  appropriate  oint- 
ments, the  following  are  recommended  for  smearing  the  seton : 

No.  13.  Powdered  cantharides,  1  part. 

Oil  of  turpentine, 

Canada  Balsam,  of  each,  8  parts. 

Digest  the  cantharides  and  turpentine  together  and  add  the  balsam. 

No.  14.  Powdefed  white  hellebore,  1  part. 

Lard,  8  parts. 

Mix  at  a  gentle  heat. 

No.  15.  Citrine  ointment,  3  parts. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  1  part. 

Mix. 

Or  either  of  the  ingredients  in  this  last  formula  alone  will 
answer  very  well. 

FIRING. 

The  hot  iron  or  the  actual  cautery  is  a  very  useful  agent  in 
veterinary  practice,  and  should  not  be  dispensed  with  or  con- 
demned on  mistaken  notions  of  tenderness.  In  certain  dis- 
eases it  cannot  be  successfully  replaced  by  any  other  form  of 
counter  irritation.  It  must  of  course  be  used  with  discretion, 
but  any  one  with  experience  must  have  seen  it  remove  pain 
very  rapidly  w^hen  blisters,  etc.,  have  failed  to  do  so.  In 
bone  diseases  and  in  many  cases  of  chronic  lameness,  it  is  of 
great  benefit. 


Firing.  65 

The  iron  should  be  used  at  a  full  red  or  white  heat,  and 
the  part  touched  as  lightly  as  possible,  so  that  a  distinct  im- 
pression is  made.  More  than  one  leg  should  not  be  fired  at 
one  time. 

Various  forms  of  cauteries  or  "  firing  irons "  are  used. 
Those  with  a  narrow  edge,  about  as  thick  as  a  dime,  so  that 
the  firing  may  be  performed  in  parallel  lines-  across  the 
limbs  are  preferable,  as  leaving  the  least  blemish.  The  same 
may  be  said  in  favor  of  Prof.  Williams'  iron  for  *'  pyro-punc- 
ture,"  which  leaves  hardly  any  blemish,  and  makes  a  deep 
impression  on  the  structure.  It  is  represented  in  the  follow- 
ing engraving : — 


FIG.    16. — PKOr.  WILLIAMS'   IKON"  FOB   "  PYKO-PUNCTURE. " 

As  in  blistering,  the  hair  should  be  closely  shaved  before 
the  iron  is  applied ;  and  the  operator  is  wise  to  convince  him- 
self that  the  animal  is  securely  fastened  before  the  procedure 
begins. 

On  the  day  after  the  firing,  the  part  should  be  smeared 
with  neaf  s  foot  or  other  bland  oil,  and  this  repeated  daily 
until  the  swelling  subsides.  A  rest  of  several  months  is  ad- 
vised after  the  operation,  as  if  the  animal  is  put  to  work  too 
soon  the  disease  will  most  probably  return,  and  the  pain  have 
been  needless. 

A  method  of  firing  is  adopted  by  some  veterinarians  which 
obviates  the  objections  made  to  the  process,  and  is  often  very 
effective.  It  is  based  on  the  fact  that  the  boiling  point  of 
fat  is  about  three  times  that  of  boiling  water,  and  that  by 
applying  boiling  fat  to  the  part  at  a  temperature  of  say  600° 


66  Geyieral  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

Fahrenbeit^  a  powerful  impression  is  made  on  the  vessels 
wltliout  blemishing. 

A  flat  or  slightly  hollowed  iron  is  heated  to  a  dull  red 
heat.  A  piece  of  bacon  rind  with  a  little  of  the  fat  attached 
to  it,  is  then  placed  on  the  spavin  or  tumor  which  is  to  be  dis- 
persed. The  iron  is  then  applied  upon  the  bacon  rind,  and 
firmly  held  there  for  the  space  of  two  or  three  minutes,  and 
afterwards  more  lightly  applied,  until  the  rind  is  dried  or 
burned.  This  may  be  repeated  several  times  at  intervals  of 
two  or  three  days,  and  it  will  be  found  to  exercise  a  potent, 
stimulating  influence,  and  leave  no  scar. 

SUTURES   OR   STITCHES. 

AYhen  the  edges  of  a  wound  or  incision  are  properly 
cleansed  and  the  bleeding  checked,  they  are  brought  together 
and  maintained  in  their  proper  and  natural  position  by  stitches 
or  sutures.  Of  these  there  are  two  varieties  which  are  prin- 
cipally used  in  domestic  veterinary  surgery.  They  are  known 
as  the  "  interrupted  suture  ^^  and  the  "  twisted  suture.'^ 

1.  The  interrupted  suture  is  one  in  which  the  needle  is 
carried  through  the  two  edges  of  the  wound,  and  the  thread 


FIG.  17. — THE  INTEERUPTED  SUTURE. 

then  cut,  leaving  an  end  about  three  inches  long  on  each  side 
of  the  cut.  These  are  then  brought  together  and  tied,  and 
the  ends  cut  ofi"  close  to  the  wound,  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  17. 


Kinds  of  Sutures.  67 

2.  In  the  twisted  suture  a  needle  is  not  used,  but  a  strong 
pin  is  run  through  each  edge  of  the  cut,  and  a  thread  or  fine 
wire  is  twisted  across  the  two  protruding  ends  of  the  pin,  so 
that  the  edges  of  the  wound  are  firmly  held  in  place ;  as  seen 
in  Fig.  18. 


Fia.   18. — THE  TWISTED   SUTTJBE. 


After  a  wound  is  closed  with  sutures,  it  should  be  dressed 
with  a  plaster,  ointment  or  a  bandage,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
thread  or  pins  from  tearing  out ;  and  it  is  proper  to  remove 
them  in  four  or  five  days,  to  prevent  blemishing. 


OPERATIONS   ON   THE   TEETH. 

The  teeth  of  horses  require  frequent  attention  at  the 
hands  of  the  veterinarian  or  of  the  owner,  if  he  would  keep 
his  animals  in  good  condition. 

If  the  lower  incisors  become  so  long  as  to  bruise,  or 
otherwise  injure  the  bars  or  roof  of  the  mouth,  they  must 
be  shortened  Avith  a  rasp. 

The  same  instrument  is  required  when  it  is  found  that 
owing  to  the  greater  width  of  the  upper  row  of  the  molars, 
a  ridge  of  imworn  tooth  material  is  presented  on  the  outer 
aspect  of  the  upper,  and  on  the  inner  side  of  the  lower 
teeth,  leading  the  horse  to  wound  his  tongue  in  masticating, 
and  to  grind  his  food. 


68  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

If  through  irregularity  of  the  teeth  some  become  more 
prominent  than  others,  they  must  be  filed  down ;  and  as 
always  when  a  tooth  in  one  jaw  is  lost,  its  fellow  in  the 
other  jaw  tends  to  grow  too  long,  the  rasp  is  required  to  file 
it  back  from  time  to  time. 

Extraction  of  the  teeth  is  required  in  case  of  decay.  This 
change  is  confined  to  the  grinders  or  molar  teeth.  The  first, 
second,  and  third  molars  may  be  withdrawn  by  the  forceps  ; 
but  the  fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth  have  to  be  removed  by 
"  punching ''  after  trephining  the  gum.  The  operation  is  as 
follows,  and  can  easily  be  learned  by  a  little  practice  on  the 
dead  animal : 

Cast  the  horse  and  trephine  the  gum  so  as  to  make  the 
opening  to  correspond  to  the  fang  of  the  diseased  tooth, 
allowing  sufficient  space  above  or  below  the  diseased  fang — 
ohovey  if  the  operation  be  in  the  upper,  heloWy  if  it  be  on  the 
bottom  jaw — for  the  introduction  of  the  punch.  The  punch 
should  be  at  least  an  inch  in  circumference  at  its  point,  that 
it  may  not  cut  or  split  the  tooth. 

Two  or  three  smart  but  not  heavy  blows  with  the  hammer 
will  be  sufficient  to  loosen  the  tooth ;  and  it  may  then  be  re- 
moved with  the  forceps  or  the  hand.  The  cavity  should  be 
washed  out  with  a  solution  of  alum,  or  some  carbolic  acid 
water.     The  cavity  will  in  a  few  weeks  close  over. 

BLISTERING, 

The  application  of  a  blister  is  a  part  of  the  routine  treat- 
ment of  the  common  veterinarian  whenever  he  suspects  in- 
ternal inflammation.  It  is  a  pernicious  and  discreditable  prac- 
tice. Blisters  usually  do  no  good  whatever  in  deep  seated 
inflammations,  and  they  not  only  leave  a  blemish  slow  to  dis- 
appear, but  they  cause  the  animal  a  great  deal  of  severe  pain 
and  have  often  brought  on  strangling  and  irritation  of  the 
bladder. 


Directions  for  Blistering,  69 

Blisters  should  be  confined  to  cases  where  the  acute,  in- 
flammatory symptoms  have  passed  away,  and  where  it  is  de- 
sired to  cause  the  absorption  of  some  deposit,  or  to  stimulate 
the  vessels  to  effect  some  organic  change,  as  to  hasten  the 
opening  of  an  abscess,  or  the  reduction  of  an  enlarged  gland. 

Before  a  blister  is  applied  the  hair  should  be  cut  from  the 
part,  which  should  then  be  washed  and  dried,  and  the  blister- 
ing fluid  applied  with  smart  friction  for  several  minutes. 
The  blistering  ointment  preferred  by  the  Edinburgh  Veteri- 
nary College  is  the  following  : 

No.  16.  Powdered  cantharides,  1  part. 

Lard  heated  to  213°,  12  parts. 

Mix  well  together  and  cool. 

At  this  strength,  the  ointment  if  thoroughly  applied  will 
raise  a  good  blister  and  will  never  blemish. 

Most  of  the  ointments  are  very  much  stronger  than  this. 
That  recommended  by  Mr.  Youatt  was, 

K^o.  17.  Powdered  cantharides, 

Powdered  resin,  each  1  oz. 

Lard,  4  oz. 

Melt  the  lard  and  resin  together  and  stir  in  the  flies. 
Another  of  medium  strength  is, 

Ko .  18.  Powdered  cantharides,  1  oz. 

Lard  or  oil,  6  oz. 

Melt  together. 

The  addition  of  turpentine,  sulphuric  acid,  arsenic,  corro- 
sive sublimate  and  the  like,  should  be  avoided.  They  serve 
no  useful  purpose,  and  merely  increase  the  pain  needlessly. 

Blistering  plasters  are  not  used  in  veterinary  surgery,  but 
there  are  preparations  called  ^'sweating  blisters ^^  popular 


70         General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

with  some.     They  are  of  stroug  tincture  of  cantharides  made 
as  follows: 


No.  19. 

Powdered  flies, 

loz. 

Alcohol, 

1  pint. 

Steep  for  two  weeks. 

This  is  of  medium  strength,  and  can  be  increased  in  its 
action  by  adding  a  few  ounces  of  solution  of  ammonia  or  oil 
of  turpentine.  These  tinctures  rarely  raise  a  full  blister, 
but  cause  considerble  irritation  and  a  watery  discharge.  In 
using  them  it  is  not  essential  that  the  hair  be  removed ;  and 
they  may  be  applied  repeatedly  to  the  same  spot  without 
blemishing. 

Blisters  are  not  much  used  on  cattle,  as  on  them  sufficient 
irritation  can  generally  be  produced  by  mustard  and  hot 
water,  well  rubbed  in. 

A  blister  while  rising  causes  much  irritation,  and  the 
animal  will  always  try  to  rub  or  bite  the  blistered  part.  In 
the  horse  this  should  be  prevented  by  tying  the  head  to  the 
rack,  or  tying  up  the  tail.  On  the  second  day  after  it  has 
been  applied,  the  part  should  be  fomented  with  warm  water, 
and  dressed  with  lard,  oil  or  any  simple  ointment. 

Sometimes  it  is  desirable  to  maintain  the  effect  of  the 
blister  for  some  time.  This  is  to  be  accomplished  by  dress- 
ing the  part  with  some  more  of  the  blistering  ointment 
diluted  to  one-half  or  one-fourth  its  strength  with  lard  or 
oil. 

The  following  general  rules  should  be  observed : 

1.  Do  not  blister  more  than  two  spots  at  one  time. 

2.  Do  not  blister  much  in  hot  weather. 

3.  Always  be  on  your  guard  against  producing  strangury, 
which  is  easily  brought  on  in  some  horses. 

4.  Never  blister  a  highly  inflamed  part,  nor  where  there 
are  signs  of  erysipelas  or  mortification. 


Signs  and  Symptoms  of  Disease.  71 

If  the  blister  causes  excessive  nervous  irritability,  loss  of 
appetite,  or  difficulty  in  watering,  wash  the  blistered  surface 
with  warm  water  containing  soft  soap ;  dress  it  with  sweet 
oil ;  and  give  the  animal  a  full  dose  of  opium. 

EOWELS   OR   ISSUES. 

A  rowel  or  issue  consists  in  a  wound  made  in  the  skin 
with  a  bistoury  or  rowel  scissors,  and  kept  open  by  a  pledget 
of  tow,  lint,  or  leather,  wdiich  to  increase  the  counter  irrita- 
tion and  discharge,  is  sometimes  smeared  with  irritant  dress- 
ing. Its  actions  are  similar  to  that  of  a  seton.  The  more 
cultivated  veterinary  surgeons  employ  rowels  much  less  than 
their  predecessors ;  indeed,  it  may  be  said  that  they  are  a 
form  of  counter  irritation  which  is  passing  out  of  fashion, 
and  justly  so.  They  will  be  rarely  recommended  in  the 
present  work. 


CHAPTER  y. 

GENERAL.   RULES   FOR   RECOGNISING  AND  DISTINGUISHING 
DISEASES. 

The  Pulse — The  Breathing — The  Animal  Heat — The  Skin 
and  Hair — The  Posture — Indications  of  Pain — Special 
Signs  in  Cattle — Signs  of  Diseases  of  Particular  Organs. 

Any  one  who  would  become  expert  in  recognizing  diseases 
in  animals,  must  study  them  carefully  in  the  healthy  state, 
and  make  himself  thoroughly  familiar  with  their  habits, 
appearance  and  general  physiology.  He  must  practice  feel- 
ing their  pulse  and  the  heart,  listening  to  the  sounds  of  their 


72  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

lungs  in  breathing,  and  taking  their  temperature,  by  feeling 
the  skin  and  also  by  using  a  properly  constructed  ther- 
mometer. He  should  watch  the  appearances  of  the  eye  and 
tongue,  and  note  the  positions  assumed  when  asleep  and 
awake.  He  should  observe  the  character  and  frequency  of 
the  discharges  of  the  bowels  and  bladder,  and  the  eagerness 
of  their  appetite.  For  it  is  in  the  variations  from  health  in 
these  particulars,  that  the  veterinarian  discovers  the  guides 
which  lead  him  to  the  recognition  of  the  particular  disease 
he  has  to  treat.  We  shall  examine  each  of  these  items 
separately,  and  assure  our  readers  that  if  they  will  verify 
our  statements  by  practice  on  the  living  animals,  they  will 
soon  be  in  a  position  to  take  charge  of  them  when  sick, 
quite  as  well  and  often  a  great  deal  better  than  the  average 
farrier,  as  he  is  to  be  found  in  this  country. 

THE   PULSE. 

The  Pulse  differs  very  much  in  the  domestic  animals. 
In  the  full  grown  horse  at  rest,  its  beats  are  about  40  per 
minute;  in  the  ox,  from  50  to  55;  and  in  the  sheep  and 
pig,  about  as  in  man,  that  is,  averaging  70  to  80  beats  in  the 
minute.  In  calves  and  colts,  and  in  animals  well  advanced 
in  years,  the  pulse  increases  in  health,  to  about  twice  these 
fis-ures:  and  it  is  also  increased  by  hot,  close  stables,  full 
feeding,  and  the  condition  of  pregnancy. 

The  pulse  may  be  felt  wherever  a  considerable  artery 
passes  over  a  bone.  It  is  usually  examined  in  the  horse  on 
the  cord  which  runs  across  the  bone  of  the  lower  jaw,  just  in 
front  of  its  curved  portion;  or  on  the  bony  ridge  which 
extends  upward  from  the  eye;  or  inside  the  elbow.  In 
cattle,  it  is  conveniently  reached  over  the  middle  of  the  first 
rib,  or  beneath  the  tail.  There  is  a  marked  difference  of 
force  in  the  pulse  of  the  two  species;  that  of  the  horse  being 


The  Pulse  and  Breathing.  73 

full  and  rather  tense,  while  in  the  ox,  it  is  soft  and  rolling. 

When  the  j)ulse  differs  materially  from  these  conditions 
in  any  direction,  it  is  a  sign  of  disease.  If  rapid,  full  and 
hard,  there  is  high  fever  or  acute  inflammation;  if  rapid, 
small  and  weak,  there  is  low  fever,  loss  of  blood  or  weak- 
ness. If  very  slow,  we  may  suspect  brain  disease;  if 
irregular,  now  fast  and  in  a  few  seconds  slow,  we  should 
look  for  a  diseased  condition  of  the  heart. 

In  the  sheep,  the  pulse  is  felt  by  placing  the  hand  on  the 
left  side^  where  the  beatings  of  the  heart  can  be  felt;  or  at 
about  the  middle  of  the  inside  of-  the  thigh,  where  the 
femoral  artery  passes  obliquely  across  the  bone. 

THE    BKEATHING. 

The  Breathing  is  next  in  importance.  If  the  ear  is  ap- 
plied to  the  throat  of  a  healthy  horse  or  ox,  the  air  will  be 
heard  passing  through  the  windpipe  with  a  regular,  steady 
blowing  sound ;  if  applied  to  the  chest,  a  soft  rustling  mur- 
mur will  be  heard,  like  a  gentle  breeze  in  the  tree  tops, 
caused  by  the  air  passing  in  and  out  of  the  fine  tubes  and 
vessels  of  the  lungs.  But  where  the  lung  or  throat  is 
diseased,  these  sounds  are  very  much  changed  and  in  many 
directions,  which  it  is  not  necessary  to  dwell  on  here,  but 
which  will  at  once  indicate  the  presence  of  something  amiss 
with  these  important  organs. 

If  the  fore  finger  of  the  left  hand  is  placed  firmly  on  the 
chest  and  smartly  tapped  with  the  ends  of  the  three  first 
fingers  of  the  right  hand,  the  sound  will  be  noticed  to  be 
much  more  resonant  and  clear  than  when  the  same  procedure 
is  practiced  on  the  solid  thigh.  This  is  because  the  lungs 
are  not  solid,  but  are  always  in  health  well  expanded  with 
air.  But  in  various  diseases,  as  pneumonia  and  pleurisy, 
they  fill  up  with  fluid  and  become  solid,  and  then  the  sound 


74  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

given  out,  by  thus  percussing  them  as  it  is  called,  is  like  that 
on  any  other  solid  part  of  the  animals.  Hence  this  is  an- 
other very  important  indication  of  disease. 

By  practice  on  healthy  animals,  the  character  and  boundaries 
of  these  sounds  can  be  learned  so  closely,  that  any  variation 
from  them  will  be  at  once  detected,  and  will  sometimes  reveal  the 
presence  of  an  unsound  condition,  when  no  other  means  will. 

The  rapidity  with  which  the  act  of  breathing  is  performed 
can  easily  be  counted  by  the  heaving  of  the  chest.  In  health, 
in  the  adult  horse  at  rest,  it  is  from  eight  to  twelve  times  a 
minute,  and  in  the  ox  a  little  faster.  Any  great  increase, 
without  obvious  cause,  is  a  positive  sign  of  a  diseased  con- 
dition. 

THE    ANIMAL   HEAT. 

The  temperature  of  animals  can  be  ascertained,  to  a  slight 
extent,  by  the  feel  of  the  skin,  the  ears,  and  the  legs.  A 
hot,  dry  skin  in  a  horse  generally  accompanies  a  feverish 
condition.  Cold  ears  and  legs  are  a  sign  of  serious  disease. 
But  the  only  scientific,  that  is,  accurate  plan,  is  to  use  what  is 
called  a  "  clinical  thermometer,"  that  is,  one,  the  bulb  of 
which  can  be  bared  and  inserted  into  the  rectum.  After  it 
has  remained  there  two  or  three  minutes,  the  mercury  will 
accurately  indicate  the  temperature  of  the  blood.  This  in 
health  is  98°,  and  any  deviation  from  this,  even  of  a  few 
degrees,  is  a  certain  sign  of  disease.  Those  veterinarians 
who  have  practiced  sufficiently  with  this  instrument  to  become 
skilled  in  its  use,  declare  it  invaluable  in  their  business,  as 
affording  them  grounds  for  opinions  about  diseases  which  no 
other  symptoms  could. 

Thus  it  has  been  found  that  every  disease  has  its  own 
degree,  a  temperature  at  which  it  is  either  favorable  or  fatal. 
For  example,  if  in  that  sometimes  prevalent  epidemic  among 
horses,  cerebro-spinal  meningitis,  the  thermometer  rises  as  high 


Symptoms  of  Disease,  75 

as  104°,  it  is  a  certain  indication  that  the  horse  will  shortly 
die ;  while  in  such  a  disease  as  inflammation  of  the  lungs 
the  mercury  will  register  108°  or  109°,  and  the  horse  recover. 
If  in  gastric  or  typhoid  fever  the  heat  has  been  103°,  and 
falls  to  100°,  and  then  suddenly  rises  again  to  its  previous 
figure,  the  chances  are  terribly  against  the  patient,  no  matter 
what  the  other  appearances  may  seem  to  say.  These  few  ex- 
amples will  serve  to  show  how  valuable  the  instrument  may 
become  in  the  hands  of  an  intelligent  person. 

THE  SKIN  AND   HAIR. 

The  skin  in  its  general  feeling  and  appearance  is  an  im- 
portant guide  to  the  condition  of  an  animal.  A  dry,  scurfy 
appearance  is  a  symptom  of  indigestion,  and  liability  to  joint 
affections.  What  is  called  "  hide-bound  "  is  a  symptom  of  a 
general  state  of  poor  nutrition,  arising  from  indigestion,  im- 
proper food,  worms,  or  a  want  of  proper  exercise.  The 
skin  feels  stretched  and  hard,  as  if  too  small  for  the  body. 
The  condition  known  as  "staring  coat,"  when  the  hairs  stand 
out  like  bristles,  is  often  the  only  symptom  of  a  low  state 
of  health.  Whenever  an  animal  is  disposed  to  shiver,  with 
shedding  of  the  coat,  when  exposed  to  moderate  cold,  or  with- 
out such  exposure,  it  is  on  the  edge  of  some  disease.  A  per- 
sistently staring  coat,  without  other  symptoms  of  disease, 
often  indicates  the  approach  of  an  attack  of  farcy  or  glanders, 
and  when  with  this  are  repeated  shivers  or  chills,  we  may 
expect  the  strangles,  weed,  or  other  diseases  with  suppura- 
tion. When  in  an  attack  of  disease  the  skin  becomes  covered 
with  a  cold  sweat,  the  life  of  the  animal  is  in  great  danger. 

THE   POSTURE. 

The  position  of  an  animal,  its  mode  of  standing  and  lying 
down,  are  all  significant.     Lying  persistently  on  one  side,  or 


76  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine, 

obstinately  maintaining  one  position,  shows  that  any  other  is 
painful.  Horses  stand  as  long  as  they  possibly  can,  as  they 
breathe  much  easier  in  the  upright  position,  and  if  they  once 
lie  down,  they  soon  despair  and  die.  Hence  the  rule  is  w^ith 
a  horse  to  sling  him  up,  in  almost  all  ailments.  With 
cattle  it  is  diiferent,  and  it  is  much  less  important  to  keep 
them  erect.  When  animals  cannot  rise,  it  may  be  from  weak- 
ness, or  from  palsied  limbs,  or  from  severe  injuries  or  sprains. 

INDICATIONS  OF  PAIN. 

The  feeling  of  pain  in  animals  is  indicated  by  their  flinch- 
ing when  the  painful  part  is  touched;  by  the  care  which 
they  take  in  lying  down,  walking  or  standing  to  "  favor"  the 
part,  and  by  the  appearance  of  the  eye.  Distress  and  suffer- 
ing are  generally  plainly  apparent  in  the  faces  of  sick  horses 
and  cattle. 

SPECIAL   SIGNS   IN   CATTLE. 

In  cattle  the  horn  at  its  root  yields  by  the  sensation  it  im- 
parts to  the  hand  a  rough  idea  of  the  temperature  of  the 
blood,  and  the  cowleech  generally  feels  it  as  the  doctor  does 
the  pulse,  as  a  part  of  the  indispensable  programme  of  a  pro- 
fessional visit.  If  the  temperature  is  natural,  he  concludes 
there  is  no  fever ;  if  cold,  and  the  tips  of  the  ears  also  cold, 
it  is  a  sign  of  some  serious  internal  congestion,  the  blood  no 
longer  circulating  in  natural  force  through  the  extremities. 

The  muzzle  is  another  part  he  takes  note  of.  In  health 
this  is  moist,  covered  with  ^'  dew,"  as  the  saying  is ;  but  in 
disease,  especially  fever,  it  is  dry,  hotter  or  colder  than  nat- 
ural, and  sometimes  changed  in  color,  paler  or  injected  with 
blood.  By  looking  at  the  flanks,  the  regularity  of  the  res- 
piration is  noted,  rapid  and  irregular  heaving  there  betraying 
the  disturbance  of  the  important  function  of  breathing.     In 


Symptoms  of  Diseases.  77 

ruminants  also,  the  second  mastication  of  the  food  is  among 
the  first  of  the  vital  processes  to  become  disturbed  in  disease. 
When  a  cow  or  an  ox  "  loses  the  cud/'  as  it  is  called  by  herd- 
men,  that  is,  ceases  to  ruminate  without  apparent  cause, 
there  is  sure  to  be  a  feeling  of  sickness  about  the  animal 
which  is  thus  interfering  with  one  of  its  processes  of  diges- 
tion. 

THE    SIGNS   OF  DISEASES   OF  PAETICULAR  ORGAISrS. 

There  are  various  plans  of  classifying  diseases,  but  the  one 
most  practically  useful  is  to  arrange  them  with  reference  to 
the  main  organs  affected,  because  by  following  this  plan  they 
are  most  easily  recognized.  Hence  we  have  '^  Local  Dis- 
eases "  that  are  principally  located  in  one  or  another  part  of 
the  body,  and  "  General  Diseases,"  which  affect  all  of  it. 
But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  local  diseases,  as  they  in- 
crease in  severity,  generally  involve  the  whole  system  more 
or  less ;  and  that  general  diseases  may  have  local  signs. 

By  a  careful  study  of  what  follows,  the  reader  will  be  able 
generally  to  determine  wdth  accuracy  the  seat  of  disease. 

Local  diseases  include 

1.  Diseases  of  the  brain,  spinal  cord  and  nerves. 

2.  Diseases  of  the  breathing  organs  (windpipe  and  lungs). 

3.  Diseases  of  the  digestive  organs  (mouth,  throat,  stom- 
ach, bowels). 

4.  Diseases  of  the  heart  and  blood-vessels. 

5.  Diseases  of  the  kidneys,  bladder  and  sex  organs. 

The  prominent  signs  by  which  they  can  be  recognized  are  as 
follows : — 

1.  Signs  of  Diseases  of  the  Brain,  Spinal  Cord  and  Nerves. 

When  there  is  unusual  dullness  and  sleepiness,  or  their 
opposite,  wakefulness  and  wildness,  brain  disease  may  be  sus- 


78  General  Principles  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

pected.  Palsy,  spasms  and  convulsions  point  in  the  same 
direction.  A  prominent  and  swollen  condition  of  both  eyes 
occurs  in  congestion  of  the  brain ;  and  a  projection  of  the 
haw  (the  winking  membrane  of  the  eye)  is  a  sure  sign  of 
lockjaw.  Snoring  or  stertorous  breathing  is  a  pretty  sure 
symptom  of  brain  disease. 

2.  Signs  of  Diseases  of  the  Breathing  Organs, 

Here  cmigh  is  the  most  important  symptom.  It  is  moist 
in  catarrh,  colds,  and  other  diseases  where  there  is  a  discharge 
from  the  lining  membranes  of  the  air  passages ;  and  dry  in 
the  first  stages  of  colds,  in  pleurisy,  broken  wind,  roaring, 
and  when,  as  occasionally  happens,  it  does  not  depend  on  dis- 
ease of  the  breathing  organs,  but  is,  as  it  is  called,  sympathetio 
of  other  complaints,  especially  indigestion,  worms,  and  liver 
disease. 

Eapid,  irregular,  or  difficult  breathing  is  present  in  most 
affections  of  the  lungs ;  and  when  the  motion  of  breathing  is 
more  visible  than  usual  in  the  belly,  it  is  a  sign  that  the  act 
is  painful,  as  in  pleurisy  and  rheumatism  of  the  walls  of  the 
chest. 

Running  from  the  nose  and  mouth  is  generally  associated 
with  this  class  of  complaints. 

3.  Signs  of  Diseases  of  the  Digestive  Organs. 

When  the  appetite  is  much  greater  than  natural,  it  is 
usually  a  sign  of  worms,  or  irritation  of  the  stomach.  In 
diarrhoea,  the  discharges  from  the  bowels  are  frequent  and 
watery;  in  constipation,  infrequent,  dry  and  hard.  When 
an  animal  passes  blood,  it  is  generally  from  dysentery,  piles, 
ulcers  in  the  bowels,  or  a  rupture.  Swelling  of  the  belly, 
unusual  discharges  of  wind,  and  fits  of  giddiness,  are  common 
in  colic  and  indigestion. 


Symptoms  of  Diseases,  79 

4.  Signs  of  Diseases  of  the  Heart. 

These  are  indicated  by  violent  convulsive  beating  of  the 
heart,  easily  perceived  by  the  hand  placed  behind  the  left 
elbow;  by  a  jerking,  intermittent,  unequal  and  irregular 
pulse;  by  habitually  cold  ears  and  legs;  by  swelling  of  the 
legs  and  the  belly ;  by  difficult  breathing,  much  increased 
by  slight  exertion;  and  by  general  sluggishness  and  a  ten- 
dency to  lay  on  fat.  If  on  carefully  listening  to  the  sound 
of  the  heart,  it  is  found  to  give  forth  sounds  different  from 
those  usual  in  healthy  animals  (with  which,  as  we  have  said, 
the  student  must  make  himself  thoroughly  familiar),  then 
there  need  be  no  further  hesitation  in  pronouncing  the  pre- 
sence of  heart  disease. 

5.  Signs  of  Diseases  of  the  Kidneys,  Bladder  and  Sex  Organs. 

Profuse  staleing,  usually  accompanied  with  excessive  thirst, 
is  a  symptom  of  diabetes,  a  very  serious  disease.  Bloody 
urine,  ^^red  water",  and  ^' black  water '^,  may  signify  a 
mechanical  injury  to  the  bladder,  inflammation  of  the  kid- 
neys, kidney  worms,  stone  in  the  bladder,  or  in  cattle,  one 
of  those  very  dangerous  diseases  called  murrains.  When 
the  urine  cannot  be  passed,  it  may  be  from  a  stone  or  a  stric- 
ture; it  also  occurs  in  spinal  meningitis  in  horses. 

Carrying  and  bearing  the  young,  and  the  various  diseases 
to  which  the  female  is  liable,  at  and  after  this  period,  are  all 
of  obvious  symptoms.  This  class  of  maladies  has  a  pecu- 
liar importance  to  the  stock  breeder,  as  it  has  been  again  and 
again  demonstrated  that  the  higher  the  breed  and  the  more 
refined  the  Jblood — that  is,  the  more  costly  the  animal — the 
more  is  it  liable  to  numerous  and  grave  interferences  with 
these  acts  of  reproduction. 


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PART  11. 


The  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 


GEIsrERAL    EEMAEKS    ON    THE    DISEASES    OF    THE    HORSE. 

Of  all  the  domesticated  animals,  the  horse  is  the  one 
whose  diseases  have  received  the  closest  study.  Until  the 
present  century  he  might  justly  have  been  considered  the 
most  really  valuable  of  the  lower  species.  With  our  im- 
proved modes  of  locomotion  this  is  hardly  now  the  case,  and 
the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  yet  held  arises  largely  from 
tradition,  the  competition  of  traders  and  the  love  of  display, 
rather  than  his  intrinsic  worth  to  man. 

As  he  is  most  highly  prized  for  the  qualities  of  grace  and 
speed  in  motion,  especial  attention  has  been  long  paid  to  the 
prevention  and  removal  of  whatever  w^ould  impair  these 
powers ;  and  hence  we  shall  have  to  consider  a  long  list  of 
lamenesses  in  the  horse,  which  deteriorate  his  value  exceed- 
ingly, w^hile  in  other  animals  they  are  of  little  or  no  import- 
ance w^hatever.  This  list  is  longer  on  account  of  the  struc- 
ture of  the  horse's  leg  and  foot,  w^hich  in  delicacy  and  com- 
plexity stands  unsurpassed  and  probably  unrivalled  among 
the  wondrous  exhibits  of  comparative  anatomy. 

Another  reason  for  our  increased  acquaintance  with  equine 
diseases  is  that,  as  the  horse,  in  this  country  at  least,  is  not 
fed  for  the  table,  there  is  no  economy  in  knocking  him  in  the 

(81)  6 


82  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

head  the  moment  he  shows  signs  of  disease,  as  we  observe 
various  Avriters  on  cattl6,  sheep  and  swine  recommend  in  re- 
ference to  those  animals.  A  dead  horse  is  proverbially  of  the 
least  possible  use.  Hence  the  owner  will  naturally  spare  no 
reasonable  pains  to  keep  him  alive,  as  a  lame  or  a  sick  horse 
is  better  than  no  horse  at  all. 

The  equine  species,  in  which  we  include  the  mule  and  the 
ass,  differs  remarkably  from  the  other  herbivorous  animals 
we  shall  consider,  in  having  but  one  stomach.  The  tract  of 
the  bowels  is  enormous ;  if  spread  out,  it  is  estimated  they 
would  cover  ninety  square  feet.  Like  all  the  herbivora,  he 
responds  very  slowly  to  certain  medicines.  He  never  vomits, 
so  emetics  are  useless ;  and  many  purges  act  on  him  slowly 
and  irregularly.  Saline  purges,  for  instance,  as  Epsom  and 
Glauber  salts,  are  quite  unsuitable,  sometimes  appearing  in- 
ert, or  again  acting  so  violently  that  they  produce  inflamma- 
tion and  exhaustion.  For  this  purjoose,  aloes,  especially 
Barbadoes  aloes,  on  account  of  their  cheapness,  are  preferred. 
These,  if  properly  administered,  will  act  in  eight  or  ten  hours. 
Senna,  colocynth,  buckthorn  and  other  cathartics  of  value  in 
man  have  scarcely  any  such  effect  on  horses. 

This  species  is  more  subject  to  high  inflammatory  diseases 
than  the  other  three  which  w^e  shall  treat.  Fevers  and  mala- 
dies of  a  low,  typhoid  type  are  comparatively  rare  in  the 
horse.  He  is  moreover  of  a  courageous,  enduring  disposition, 
and  will  not  yield  to  the  attacks  of  disease  as  readily  as  an 
ox  or  sheep.  Nevertheless,  the  treatment  by  bleeding,  active 
purges,  tartar  emetic  and  calomel,  heretofore  promiscuously 
practised  on  hira,  is  by  no  means  to  be  commended ;  it  be- 
longs to  a  past  age,  and  only  lingers  under  the  favor  of 
ignorance  and  prejudice.  Not  many  traces  of  it  will  be  found 
in  the  following  pages,  as  what  we  have  to  present  is  not  a 
rechauffe  of  antiquated  opinions. 


General  RemarTcs,  83 


Note. — In  treating  tKe  diseases  of  Horses,  we  shall  at  the 
same  time  describe  those  which  are  common  to  both  Horses, 
Mules  and  Cattle ;  thus  avoiding  a  useless  repetition  which 
would  be  otherwise  necessary  when  we  come  to  treat  of  Dis- 
eases of  Cattle.  Many  complaints  are  substantially  identical, 
both  in  symptoms  and  treatment,  in  the  two  species. 


On  the  following  two  pages  we  have  placed  in  contrast 
the  external  and  the  internal  anatomy  of  the  horse.  A  care- 
ful study  of  these  diagrams  will  be  found  of  considerable 
importance  in  understanding  the  descriptions  of  diseases 
which  will  be  contained  in  the  pages  that  follow.  The 
popular  names  applied  to  the  external  forms  of  the  horse  are 
of  especial  interest  to  every  one  who  owns  such  an  animal, 
and  they  sJiould  be  made  familiar  by  reference  to  the  liviag 
subject. 


84 


Diseases  of  the  He 


orse. 


FIG.   19.— EXTERNAL 

ANATOMY   OF   THE  HOESB* 

1. 

Muzzle. 

23. 

Kibs. 

2. 

Nostril. 

24, 

24.    Girth. 

3. 

Forehead. 

25. 

Loins. 

4. 

Jaw. 

26. 

Croup. 

5. 

PoU. 

27. 

Hip. 

6. 

Crest. 

28. 

Flank. 

7. 

Windpipe. 

29. 

The  sheath. 

8. 

Shoulderblade. 

30. 

The  root  of  the  taiL 

9. 

Point  of  Shoulder. 

31. 

The  hip  joint. 

10. 

Breast. 

32. 

The  stifle  joint. 

11. 

Arm. 

33. 

Lower  thigh. 

12. 

Elbow. 

34. 

The  quarters. 

13. 

Forearm. 

35. 

The  hock. 

14. 

Knee. 

36. 

The  point  of  the  hock. 

15. 

Cannon  bone. 

37. 

The  curb  place. 

16. 

Back  sinew. 

38. 

The  cannon  bone. 

17. 

Fetlock,  or  pastern  joint. 

39. 

Back  sinew. 

18. 

Coronet. 

40. 

Fetlock,  or  pastern  joint. 

19. 

Hoof. 

41. 

Coronet. 

30. 

Heel. 

42. 

Hoof. 

21. 

Withers. 

43. 

Heel. 

22. 

Back. 

44. 

Spavin  place. 

Internal  Ancdomy  of  the  Horse. 


85 


FIG.   20. — INTERNAL  ANATOMY  OF  THE  HORSE. 


1.  The  poll  or  occiput. 

2.  The  lesser  brain,  cerebellum. 

3.  The  greater  brain,  cerebrum. 

4.-  The  membranes  of  the  nostrils. 

5.  The  tongue. 

6.  The  bones  of  the  neck. 

7.  7.     The  spinal  cord. 

8.  The  throat,  or  pharynx. 

9.  9.    The  gullet,  or  cesophagus. 

10.  Entrance  of  the  gullet  into  the  stomach. 

11.  Exit  from  the  stomach  into  the  bowels. 

12.  The  surface  of  the  diaphragm. 

13.  The  windpipe. 

14.  The  lungs. 

15.  The  heart. 

a.  The  stomach. 

b.  The  spleen. 

c.  The  kidney. 

d.  One  side  of  the  womb. 

e.  The  rectum,  or  lower  bowel, 

f.  The  anus. 

g.  h,  i,  kj  I.    The  muscles  of  the  thigh. 


Diseases  of  the  Hai^se.  87 

CHAPTER  I. 

DISEASES   OF   THE   BRAI:N'   A:N"D   NERVOUS   SYSTEM. 

Congestion  and  Inflammation  of  the  Brain — Phrenitis — Madj 

Blind  or  Sleepy  Staggers, 
Cerebrospinal  Meningitis. 
Convulsive  Diseases  or  Fits — Apoplexy — Epilepsy — Falling 

Sickness — St.  Vitus'  Dance  or  StringhaU. 
Megrims —  Vertigo — Giddiness. 
Sunstroke. 
Paralysis  or  Palsy. 
Tetanus  or  Lockjaw. 
Hydrophobia. 

CONGESTION  AND  INFLAMMATION   OF  THE  BRAIN— PHEENITIS— 
MAD,  BLIND  OR  SLEEPY  STAGGERS. 

Definition. — A  congestion  or  over  fullness  of  the  blood- 
vessels  of  the  brain  and  its  envelopes,  passing  into  inflamma-- 
tion,  accomj)anied  with  marked  effects  on  the  animaFs  mental 
condition. 

Causes. — Exposure  to  the  heat  of  the  sun,  blows  on  the 
head,  suppression  of  urine,  poisoning  of  various  kinds,  tumors 
in  the  brain,  over  driving  in  fat  animals,  feeding  on  distillery- 
slops,  the  pressure  of  a  tight  collar  and  overloading  the 
stomach. 

Symptoms. — The  most  common  form  of  the  disease,  both 
in  horses  and  cattle,  is  that  called  stomach  staggers  or  sleepy 
staggers.  The  animal  at  first  is  dull,  listless  and  drowsy. 
The  breathing  is  generally  slower,  and  more  or  less  snoring ; 
the  pulse  also  is  slower,  in  the  horse  from  26  to  30  beats  a 
minute.  In  walking  the  animal  staggers  and  seems  about  to 
fall.    If  suddenly  disturbed,  it  looks  around  excitedly,  shivers 


88  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

and  seems  frightened.  It  now  and  then  thrusts  its  head 
against  the  wall  of  the  stable,  or  rears  and  elevates  its  nose 
in  the  rack.  The  eyes  are  bloodshot  and  yellowish.  As  the 
disease  advances,  the  feet  and  ears  become  hot  and  then  cold 
by  turns ;  the  eyes  are  fixed ;  violent  convulsions  come  on ; 
the  animal  totters  and  sometimes  falls ;  the  sight  is  lost  and 
the  head  is  struck  against  anything  that  comes  in  the  way. 
Sometimes  the  tongue  lolls  out  of  the  mouth,  or  there  is  spasm 
of  the  muscles  of  the  face,  or  general  palsy. 

The  bowels  are  usually  costive,  the  water  scanty  and  high 
colored,  and  the  frenzy  in  fits  of  greater  or  less  severity. 

Treatment. — In  the  early  stages,  if  the  pulse  is  full  and 
slow,  four  to  six  quarts  of  blood  should  be  at  once  drawn 
from  the  jugular  vein  from  a  large  opening.  But  if  the  pulse 
is  feeble  and  quick,  no  blood  should  be  taken. 

In  all  cases,  give  at  once  a  smart  purge. 

No.  20.  Powdered  aloes,  6  drachms. 

Calomel,  1  drachm. 

This  amount  to  a  horse. 


No.  21.  Sulphate  of  magnesia,         20  oz. 

Croton  beans,  15  oz. 

Mix  and  give  to  an  ox  or  cow. 

The  animal  should  be  kept  as  quiet  as  possible  in  a  darkened 
stable,  and  have  plenty  of  water,  but  no  food,  and  the  head 
should  be  often  bathed  with  ice  water.  If  the  purge  does 
not  act  thoroughly,  repeat  it  on  the  second  or  third  day. 

When  ice  water  is  not  at  hand,  the  following  cooling  lotion 
will  supply  its  place : — 

No.  22.  Common  salt, 

Saltpetre, 

Sal  ammoniac,  each  4  oz. 

Mix  in  a  gallon  of  water. 

To  reduce  the  fever,  the  following  is  a  useful  preparation  :— 

1^0.  23.  Powdered  digitalis,  1  drachm. 

Saltpetre,  2  drachms. 

Mix  and  give  as  a  ball  several  times  a  day. 


Ckrebro-Spinal  Meningitis,  89 

Not  unfrequently  after  the  attack  is  over  some  palsy  of  the 
limbs,  generally  the  hind  limbs,  remains.  This  can  oe  most 
successfully  met  by  doses  of  strychnine^  beginning  with  three 
grains  twice  a  day,  and  cautiously  increasing  it  a  grain  every  two 
days,  until  the  animal  is  taking  twelve  or  fifteen  grains  daily. 

CEREBRO-SPINAL  MENINGITIS. 

Definition. — A  congestion  passing  into  inflammation  of  the 
brain  and  spinal  marrow  and  its  envelopes,  accompanied  by 
paralysis. 

Causes. — This  disease  is  generally  epidemic,  and  confined 
to  the  cold  months  of  the  year.  By  most,  it  is  attributed  to 
a  blood  poison  floating  in  the  air.  Some  of  the  epidemics, 
as  that  in  New  York  city  in  1871,  were  extremely  fatal,  and 
of  the  horses  attacked  with  it  early  after  its  appearance  very 
few  recovered.  It  is  believed  not  to  be  contagious,  so  that 
little  advantage  is  gained  by  separating  horses. 

Symptoms. — In  its  more  severe  form,  the  animal  is  gener- 
ally attacked  suddenly  mth  loss  of  power  to  swallow,  or  with 
a  spasm  ;  the  hind  quarters  soon  turn  cold  to  the  touch,  and 
there  is  great  tenderness  on  pressure  at  some  spot  along  the 
spine.  The  horse  loses  the  power  to  stand,  the  bladder  and 
bowels  discharge  their  contents  without  effort,  and  the  neck 
becomes  stiff  and  contracted  similar  to  lockjaw.  In  some 
cases  frenzy  comes  on  before  the  palsy,  the  animal  beats  its 
head  against  the  wall  with  great  violence,  uttering  horrible 
cries,  and  soon  dies  from  the  agony.  The  temperature  of 
the  skin  is  lower  than  in  health,  and  of  the  rectum  but  little 
higher.  When  the  latter  rises  to  103°  or  104°  death  is  im- 
minent. The  urine  and  pulse  are  not  much  altered  until 
the  disease  is  well  established,  but  the  breathing  is  more  or 
less  snoring  as  a  rule. 

Treatment. — The  first  step  is  to  put  the  animal  in  a  well 


90  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

made  sling.  Unless  this  is  done  within  24  hours  from  the 
commencement  of  the  attack,  there  is  but  slight  hope  of  his 
recovery.  Next,  he  should  be  well  brushed  and  the  legs 
wrapped  in  woolen  cloths.  If  he  can  swallow,  a  moderate 
amount  of  good  soft  food  should  be  given.  The  stable 
should  be  kept  warm,  darkened  and  quiet,  and  if  there  is  sup- 
pression of  urine,  it  should  be  drawn  off  with  a  catheter. 

As  to  medical  treatment,  there  is  no  use  whatever  in  bleed- 
ing, purging  or  blistering.  The  most  successful  treatment 
is  to  inject  with  the  hypodermic  syringe  full  doses  of  sulphate 
of  atropine^  and  give  ergot  with  the  food  ;  or  if  the  animal 
cannot  swallow,  inject  ergotine  along  with  the  atropine.  (See 
page  44).  Ice  to  the  spine,  or  hot  salt  bags,  as  some  prefer, 
may  be  tried,  but  has  not  produced  any  marked  results ;  nor 
has  cauterizing  the  spine  with  the  hot  iron.  Where  the 
strength  is  failing,  full  doses  of  whiskey,  either  by  the  mouth 
or  rectum,  will  sometimes  keep  up  the  vital  powers  and  give 
a  chance  for  recovery.  Animals  should  not  be  used  or  driven 
as  soon  as  they  show  any  signs  of  the  disease,  nor  should  they 
be  put  to  work  for  some  time  after  such  an  attack,  as  it  would 
be  very  liable  to  bring  on  a  fatal  relapse. 

When  the  hypodermic  syringe  is  not  at  hand,  the  following 

combination  will  supply  the  place  of  the  remedies  mentioned : — 

No.  24.         Extract  of  belladonna,  2  to  3  dracLms. 

Powdered  ergot,  1  oz. 

Make  into  a  ball  or  drench — give  three  times  a  day. 

Another  remedy  which  is  believed  to  have  a  soothing  effect 

is  bromide  of  potassium.     It  should  be  given  in  ounce  doses, 

repeated  until  the  animal  is  brought  under  the  influence  of 

it  and  suffers  less  from  the  pains. 

CONVULSIVE  DISEASES  OR  FITS— APOPLEXY— EPILEPSY— FALLING 
SICKNESS— ST.  VITUS'  DANCE,  OR  STRINGHALT. 

Apopletic  fits  are  very  rare  in  horses,  though  common  in 
cows.     They  will  be  described  later  in  this  work  under  the 


Fits  of  Various  Kinds,  91 

diseases  of  calving,  (Parturient  Apoplexy).  Epileptic  fits 
are  also  very  uncommon  either  in  horses  or  cattle,  though 
often  seen  in  overfed  pigs.  The  most  usual  form  of  the 
disease  will  be  described  under  Vertigo  or  Megrims.  The 
most  practically  important  of  this  class  of  complaints  is  that 
known  in  the  horse  as  "  Stringhalt.^' 

This  name  is  given  to  a  habit  of  suddenly  jerking  up  the 
hind  limb  when  raised  from  the  ground,  and  bringing  it 
down  again  with  more  than  usual  force.  It  may  be  shown 
only  when  turning  from  side  to  side  in  the  stall,  or  it  may 
also  appear  in  walking  or  trotting.  Sometimes  it  is  confined 
to  one  leg,  sometimes  it  extends  to  both.  Sometimes  a  horse 
will  go  twenty  or  thirty  steps  before  he  shows  the  halt; 
then  all  at  once  the  leg  will  be  suddenly  lifted  and  brought 
down  again  with  a  peculiar  sudden  jerk. 

There  is  no  known  cure  for  stringhalt,  and  it  is  pretty 
certain  to  increase  with  age  and  work ;  so  that  it  constitutes 
a  radical  unsoundness  in  a  horse.     Kest,  cathartics  and  full  * 
doses  of  belladonna  will  generally  lessen  it  for  a  time,  but 
are  of  no  permanent  benefit. 

MEGRIMS,   VERTIGO,  GIDDINESS. 

Definition. — A  disease  of  the  brain,  characterized  by  tem- 
porary loss  of  control  of  the  muscles,  loss  of  sensation,  and 
slight  spasms  of  the  muscles,  but  without  inflammation. 

Causes. — Overwork  in  fat  horses,  tight  or  badly  fitting 
collars,  exposure  to  the  hot  sun,  constipation,  hereditary  ten- 
dency, and  local  irritations,  as  worms,  etc. 

Symptoms. — The  animal  when  at  work  suddenly  stops, 
reels  and  trembles,  perhaps  falls  to  the  ground  and  lies  for  a 
few  minutes  partly  insensible,  then  staggers  to  his  feet,  and 
remains  excitable  and  nervous  for  several  hours  or  days. 
There  is  no  positive  spasm,  and  the  fits  are  liable  to  recui 
with  greater  or  less  frequency. 


92  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

Treatment. — As  soon  as  the  earliest  symptoms  are  noticed^ 
the  horse  should  be  stopped,  his  collar  removed  or  opened, 
his  eyes  shaded  or  covered,  and  cold  water  poured  over  his 
head.  Blood  may  be  dra^ATi  from  the  jugular  vein,  and  the 
horse  placed  in  a  quiet  stable  and  given  an  active  purge. 
Horses  subject  to  the  disease  should  have  a  collar  specially 
fitted  to  avoid  any  pressure  upon  the  blood-vessels;  and  if 
young  and  fat,  their  diet  should  be  restricted. 

These  measures  will  check  an  attack  and  lessen  the  likeli- 
hood of  its  recurrence.  But  megrims  is  substantially  an  in- 
curable disease  and  constitutes  a  permanent  unsoundness  in 
a  horse. 

It  no  doubt  is  often  a  form  of  epilepsy,  in  which  case  we 
may  have  some  chance  of  cm^ing  it  by  the  use  of  one  of  the 
bromides,  as: 

No.  25.  Bromide  of  potassium,         |  oz. 

Powdered  gentian,  1  drachm. 

This  amount  two  or  three  times  a  day  for  many  weeks. 

Another  and  cheaper  medicine  of  some  renown  in  epilepsy 
is  recommended  by  Prof.  Gamgce: — 

No.  26.  Sulphate  of  zinc,  i  drachm. 

Linseed  meal,  1  oa. 

Make  into  a  ball  and  give  twice  daily. 

In  stallions  the  fits  have  sometimes  been  found  to  dis- 
appear on  castration;  and  when  they  are  so  frequent  as  to 
render  the  animal  almost  useless,  this  means  should  be  tried. 

The  nitrate  of  silver  is  a  medicine  which  has  also  been 
recommended. 

No.  27.  Nitrate  of  silver,  6  to  8  grains. 

Make  into  a  ball  with  common  mass,  or  molasses  and  meal,  and  give 
once  or  twice  daily.     Or  it  may  be  dissolved  in  the  pail  of  water. 

^yhenever  worms  are  suspected,  or  other  sources  of  local 
irritation,  these  should  be  attended  to  in  the  proper  manner. 


Management  of  Sunstroke.  93 

STJNSTEOEE. 
Definition. — An  injury  to  the  brain  from  exposure  to  the 
rajs  of  the  sun  and  excessive  heat,  characterized  by  sudden 
loss  of  power  of  motion  and  of  consciousness,  either  partial 
or  total. 

Causes. — This  is  a  very  common  disease,  in  the  hot  months, 
in  our  great  cities,  and  usually  is  directly  caused  by  over- 
work  in  the  sun  without  protection  to  the  head.  Those 
most  subject  to  it  are  fat,  young,  feeble  and  old  horses. 
Wearing  a  sun-shade  or  a  wet  sponge  on  the  top  of  the  head, 
giving  an  abundance  of  cool  water,  and  wearing  a  breast- 
strap  instead  of  a  collar,  are  the  principal  preventive 
measures,  and  they  should  not  be  neglected. 

Symptoms. — In  severe  cases  the  horse  will  suddenly  stop, 
prop  himself  on  his  extended  limbs,  pant  violently,  drop  to 
the  ground  and  die  in  a  convulsion.  In  more  gradual 
attacks  he  will  flag  in  his  gait,  be  unsteady  in  his  limbs,  will 
spread  his  legs  in  standing  and  totter.  The  head  is  held 
low,  the  eyes  protrude,  the  nostrils  are  dilated,  the  pupils  of 
eyes  smaller  than  natural,  and  the  breathing  rapid  and  snor- 
ing. On  examination  the  skin  is  felt  to  be  hot,  the  pulse 
quick  and  weak,  and  the  heart  beating  violently  and  iiTcgu- 
larly.  Unless  relieved,  convulsions,  palsy  and  death  may 
ensue;  or  if  recovery  takes  place,  the  attack  leaves  for  a 
long  time  symptoms  of  dullness,  drowsiness  and  irritability; 
while  the  horse  is  rarely  ever  after  able  to  stand  an  ordinary 
amount  of  exposure  or  work  in  the  hot  sun. 

Treatment. — Throw  buckets  of  cold  water  over  the  whole 
body,  using  considerable  force,  and  douching  especially  the 
head  and  neck.  Having  done  this  thoroughly,  rub  the  skin 
energetically  with  rough  cloths,  as  bagging,  etc.  Then  re- 
peat the  douching.  There  is  no  use  in  giving  injections, 
and  positive  certainty  of  doing   injmy  by  bleeding.     The 


94  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

best  of  all  medicines  is  quinine.  Throw  30  to  60  grains,  by 
repeated  injections,  underneath  the  skin  with  the  hypo- 
dermic syringe.  This  is  the  East  Indian  plan  and  nothing 
equals  it  in  efficacy. 

After  the  attack  the  animal  should  be  turned  into  a  well 
shaded  field,  where  there  is  plenty  of  good  water,  for  a  few 
weeks. 

As  a  drench  to  support  the  powers  at  the  time  of  the 
attack,  it  is  recommended  to  give  as  soon  as  possible; 

No.  28.  Sulphuric  ether,  2  oz. 

Water,  1  pint. 

For  a  drench. 

No.  29.        Tincture  of  aconite  root,  20  drops. 

Ale  or  beer,  1  pint. 

For  a  drench. 

PARALYSIS  OR  PALSY. 
Definition. — Loss  of  power  over  some  of  the  muscles, 
owing  to  a  disordered  state  of  the  brain  or  nerves,  arising 
from  disease,  injuries  or  irritations. 

Causes. — In  the  horse  and  cattle,  palsy  of  the  hind  quar- 
ters is  quite  common  from  indigestion,  constipation,  and 
attacks  of  colic.  In  cows  and  mares  it  often  arises  from  the 
womb,  either  at  the  time  of  the  heat,  or  after  giving  birth. 
Such  cases  are  usually  temporary,  and  soon  recover.  Palsy 
from  injury,  or  from  some  organic  disease  of  the  spinal 
cord  are  also  not  infrequent,  and  these  offer  little  or  no 
chance  of  improvement. 

S3nnptoms. — The  animal  is  at  first  seen  to  show  weakness 
of  one  hind  limb,  with  knuckling  over  at  the  fetlock,  and 
difficulty  of  moving  it,  when  the  opposite  limb  may  become 
affected.  If  the  attack  is  severe,  the  animal  falls  on  his 
haunches  and  is  not  able  to  rise.  There  is  no  fever,  nor 
mental  excitement,  nor  is  the  pulse  or  breathing  affected. 


Treatment  of  Palsy,  95 

Treatment. — This  should  be  directed  to  remove  the  cause 
of  the  disease.  When  there  is  colic  or  constipation,  give  a 
good,  brisk  purge  (No.  20) ;  if  there  ij^  tenderness  along  the 
spine,  ergot  in  full  doses  with  the  food  is  called  for.  When 
it  is  in  connection  with  calving,  time  and  ordinary  care  will 
generally  remove  it. 

Such  measures  failing,  we  must  proceed  to  an  energetic, 
general  and  local  treatment. 

Internally,  one  of  the  best  drugs  is  strychnine^  given  as  re- 
commended in  No.  20,  or  by  throwing  one-half  to  one  grain 
under  the  skin  twice  daily,  as 

No.  30.  Strychnine,  2  grains. 

Sulphuric  acid,  4  drops. 

Alcohol,  I  oz. 

Every  10  drops  contain  1-12  of  a  grain  of  strychnine. 

Or  it  may  be  given  as  nux  vomica : 

No.  31.         Extract  of  nux  vomica,  J  drachm. 

Milk,  1  pint. 

For  a  drench  twice  a  day. 

Cantharides  is  another  useful  agent. 

No.  32.        Powdered  cantharides,  5  grains. 

Powdered  ginger,  1  drachnio 

Mix  with  meal  to  a  ball  and  give  twice  daily. 

Locally,  in  a  valuable  animal,  it  is  worth  while  to  try  elec- 
tricity. This  has  proved  of  immense  service  in  paralysis  in 
the  human  race. 

Pouring  cold  water  from  a  height  and  then  immediately 
hot  water  brings  about  a  powerful  revulsion,  and  sometimes 
greatly  strengthens  the  muscles. 

Rubbing  the  parts  with  mustard  stimulates  them,  a,nd  it 
is  productive  of  good  in  some  cases. 

A  mild  blistering  ointment  may  be  rubbed  in,  as 


No.  33.           Powdered  cantharides. 
Oil  of  turpentine. 
Lard, 

1  oz. 
1  oz. 
8  Oft. 

Mix  with  a  gentle  heat. 

96  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

TETAinJS  OR  LOCKJAW. 

Definition. — A  long  continued,  painful  spasm  of  the  mus- 
cles, which  contract  figidly,  often  keej)ing  the  jaws  firmly 
closed  or  locked. 

Causes. — The  most  frequent  cause  is  a  wound  in  the  legs 
or  feet,  often  in  itself  of  a  trivial  character,  such  as  the  pene- 
tration of  a  small  nail,  castration  or  docking.  Occasionally 
the  disease  arises  without  known  cause,  and  in  rare  instances 
becomes  epidemic,  attacking  a  great  many  horses  in  a  district. 
Some  believe  it  is  more  frequent  in  cold  than  in  hot  weather; 
but  in  Scotland  Prof  Williams  found  that  it  is  more  com- 
mon in  summer.  It  is  often  seen  in  the  horse,  but  very 
rarely  in  cattle. 

Symptoms. — In  the  earliest  stages  there  mil  be  a  stiffiaess 
of  the  muscles  near  the  seat  of  the  injury ;  the  limb  will  be 
moved  with  difficulty.  This  stiffness  increases  and  extends 
in  two  or  three  days  over  the  body.  The  animal  champs 
his  jaws  and  grinds  his  teeth.  Spittle  flows  from  his  mouth, 
and  froth  shows  on  his  lips.  The  breathing  grows  more 
rapid,  the  pulse  quickens,  and  the  nostrils  are  dilated; 
but  the  special  and  unfailing  signs  of  the  disease  are  the 
protrusion  of  the  haw,  or  winking  membrane  of  the  eye, 
and  the  closing  of  the  jaws  by  the  spasms  of  the  muscles 
around  it. 

The  bowels  and  bladder  cease  acting,  the  belly  is  stiff,  and 
anv  attempt  at  swallowing  brings  on  a  dry  hard  cough. 

Treatment. — Of  the  many  plans  and  medicines  recom- 
mended in  lockjaw,  most  are  of  no  sort  of  use.  It  may  be 
premised  by  saymg,  that  in  every  case  where  all  the  symp- 
toms are  firmly  established  before  the  fourth  day  of  the 
attack,  death  may  be  expected  and  treatment  is  useless  after 
that  time.     But  where  the  symptoms  are  kss  complete,  more 


Treatment  of  Lockjaw.  97 

slow  in  developing,  and  where  the  patient  is  seen  very  early, 
there  is  a  fair  chance  of  success. 

The  first  step  is  to  inquire  if  there  has  been  any  wound 
to  produce  the  disease.  If  there  is,  it  should  be  examined, 
cleaned  carefully,  widened  with  a  knife  if  it  seems  contracted 
or  containing  pus,  and  covered  with  a  warm  poultice  mixed 
with  laudanum  or  tincture  of  belladonna.  Afterwards  it  is 
to  be  smeared  with  extract  of  belladonna. 

The  next  thing,  if  not  the  first,  is  to  place  the  animal 
loosely  in  slings,  and  the  earlier  this  can  be  done  in  the 
disease  the  better.  The  surroundings  of  the  patient  are  of 
the  utmost  importance.  The  stable  must  be  darkened* 
should  contain  no  other  horses ;  be  kept  quiet,  and  no  visitors 
be  admitted.  It  is  enough  for  the  surgeon  to  look  in  twice 
a  day  and  give  what  food,  in  the  shape  of  nutritives  and  milk, 
the  horse  is  able  to  take.  Usually  the  thirst  is  great  for 
several  days. 

Mr.  Chawner  recommends  the  use  internally  of: 

No.  34.         Extract  of  belladonna,  4  drachma. 

Chloroform,  1  oz. 

Mix  with  the  drink  and  give  every  four  hours. 

Various  English  veterinarians  give  at  the  outset,  one  or 
two  full  doses  of  aconitey  half  a  drachm  to  a  drachm  of  the 
tincture  of  the  root,  and  shut  the  animal  up  in  a  cool,  dark 
place.     They  claim  great  success  from  this  plan. 

The  rigidity  of  the  muscles  can  sometimes  be  removed  for 
several  hours  by  hypodermic  injections  of  morphia,  3  to  6 
grains. 

Lobelia,  or  Indian  tobacco,  has  a  reputation  in  some  dis- 
tricts as  a  cure  for  tetanus  in  the  horse.  It  is  a  powerful 
relaxant,  and  given  in  doses  of  half  an  ounce  to  an  ounce 
of  the  tincture,  will  no  doubt  lessen  or  remove  the 
spasm.  But  it  is  apt  to  return  when  the  effect  of  the 
medicine  passes  away. 

7 


98  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

Prof.  Gamgee  advises  the  use  of  powerful  purgatives 

early  in  the  disease,  as: 

No.  35.         Croton  oU,  6  to  8  drops. 

Powdered  aloes,  4  to  6  drachms. 

JVIix  for  a  drench. 

Or 

No.  36.         Castor  oil,  6  oz. 

Croton  oil,  12  drops. 

To  be  given  in  linseed  tea. 

HYDKOPHOBIA. 

Definition. — A  disease  which  arises  spontaneously  in  the 
dog  and  cat  and  is  communicated  by  their  saliva  to  the  horse, 
cow,  sheep,  swine  and  man.  It  affects  the  brain,  nerves  and 
mental  faculties  and  is  incurable. 

Causes. — In  the  horse,  cow  and  sheep,  hydrophobia  is  al- 
ways produced  by  the  bite  of  a  mad  dog  or  other  hydro- 
phobic animal. 

Symptoms. — These  appear  in  the  horse  from  15  to  90  days 
after  tlie  bite;  in  cattle,  after  20  to  30  days;  in  sheep,  after 
20  to  25  days;  in  swine,  after  20  to  50  days.  It  is  gener- 
ally believed  that  mad  animals  have  a  great  dread  of  water, 
and  from  this  the  disease  receives  its  name.  Most  recent 
observers  deny  this  entirely;  and  explain  the  mistake  by  the 
statement  that  the  attempt  to  swallow  brings  on  an  exceed- 
ingly painful  spasm  of  the  throat,  which  throws  the  animal 
into  a  convulsion. 

In  the  horse,  the  patient  trembles  or  staggers ;  his  eye  is 
wild ;  he  soon  grows  furious,  and  endeavors  to  bite  or  run  at 
and  trample  down  any  one  whom  he  can  reach ;  he  kicks 
violently,  neighs,  draws  his  yard,  jerks  his  muscles,  and 
finally  drops  paralyzed.  Very  peculiarly  mischievous  and 
dangerous  propensities  mark  this  species  of  madness,  and 
distinguish  it  from  the  delirium  of  other  diseases.     In  the 


Treatment  of  Hydrophobia,  99 

same  way  the  ox  is  restless  and  excitable,  turns  out  his  upper 
lip,  grinds  his  teeth,  bellows  loudly,  and  scrapes  with  his 
fore  feet  and  rushes  at  all  who  approach.  Sheep  and  hogs 
show  in  their  own  peculiar  manners  the  ferocity  and  savage 
madness  which  is  the  characteristic  of  the  disease. 

Treatment.— This  should  not  be  attempted.  The  only 
proper  plan  is  to  shoot  the  animal,  not  only  as  soon  as  the 
earliest  symptoms  appear,  but  as  soon  as  it  is  ascertained 
that  it  has  been  bitten  by  a  mad  dog.  After  the  attack  once 
shows  itself,  it  is  absolutely  useless  to  try  any  remedies. 
Yet  it  is  true  that  many  animals,  perhaps  one-third  of  those 
bitten  by  undoubted  hydrophobic  dogs,  never  take  the 
disease.  Therefore,  in  cases  where  there  is  considerable 
value  at  stake,  an  effort  at  prevention  may  be  made.  The 
wound  should  be  thoroughly  cauterized,  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment,  with  nitrate  of  silver,  strong  oil  of  vitriol  or  the  red 
hot  iron.  The  animal  should  not  be  used,  but  placed  in  a 
roomy  box-stall  or  well  closed  shady  paddock,  and  left  quiet 
and  by  itself  until  the  period  of  development  of  the  disease 
above  mentioned  has  been  wholly  past.  With  moderate  diet 
and  an  abundance  of  water,  this  will  no  doubt  render  it  less 
liable  to  succumb  to  the  poison. 


100  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

CHAPTER  II. 

DISEASES   OF   THE   BREATHIXG   ORGAN'S. 

Cautions  in  Treating  Diseases  of  the  Breathing  Organs, 

Cold  in  the  Head — Catarrh. 

Nasal  Gleet — Bunning  from  the  Nose. 

Cold  in  the  Chest — Bronchitis —  Chronic  Cough. 

Influenza — The   Epizootic — Contagious    Catarrhal  Fet^rfr-^ 

Pink  Eye. 
Sore  Throat — Laryngitis — Pharyngintis. 
Inflammation  of  the  Lungs — Lung  Fever — Pneumonia, 
Pleurisy. 

Heaves — Broken  Wind — Emphysematous  Asthma. 
Boaring — High  Blovnng — Thick  Wind — Whistling. 

As  this  class  of  diseases  is  the  most  common  amon^  stock 
in  this  countr}' ,  we  preface  their  description  with  a  few  general 

CAUTIONS    IX   TREATING   DISEASES    OF   THE    BREATHING 
ORGANS. 

1.  Be  very  cautious  in  giving  purgative  medicines. 

There  is  always  a  strong  tendency  for  the  inflammation  to 
spread  to  the  bowels,  which  would  either  prove  fatal  forth- 
with, or  make  a  complicated  and  serious  case  of  a  simple  one. 
Aloes,  gamboge  and  large  doses  of  salts  are  therefore  not  to 
be  given.  If  the  bowels  are  bound,  injections  of  warm 
water,  soap  and  water  or  linseed  oil  are  all  that  is  needed. 

2.  Do  not  give  large  doses  of  tartar  emetic^  calomel,  digitalis, 
lobelia  or  other  weakening  medicines. 

The  great  danger  in  these  diseases  is  from  weakness  and 


General  Warnings,  101 

exhaustion;    and   it   is   very   obvious  that   this   danger   is 
vastly  increased  by  increasing  the  weakness. 

3.  Use  blisters  J  mustard,  turpentine  and  other  powerful  counter 
irritants  very  moderately. 

In  the  horse,  the  application  of  any  of  these  causes  very 
great  disturbance  and  distress,  high  excitement,  an  increase 
of  fever,  and  often  thus  they  do  far  more  general  harm  than 
local  good.  Warm  fomentations,  poultices,  etc.,  are  gener- 
ally much  better. 

4.  Be  especially  careful  how  you  bleed. 

Some  of  the  best  English  veterinarians  say,  never  bleed  in 
this  class  of  diseases.  But  in  the  United  States,  leading 
authorities  concede  that  in  the  very  early  stages  of  inflam- 
mation of  the  lungs,  when  the  animal  is  young  and  strong, 
when  the  fever  is  high  and  the  pulse  firm,  full  and  hard, 
three  or  four  quarts  of  blood  promptly  taken  from  the 
jugular  vein  will  cut  short  the  disease.  But  it  is  very  rare 
that  we  find  all  these  conditions  united,  and  when  we  have 
such  potent  means  for  lowering  the  pulse  as  aconite,  veratrum 
viride  and  lobelia,  we  need  rarely  draw  our  lancets  in  these 
cases. 

5.  Never  give  medicine  by  drenches  in  throat  disease  or  where 
there  is  much  coughing. 

Not  only  does  a  neglect  of  this  rule  often  greatly  aggra- 
vate the  disease,  by  exciting  and  half  strangling  the  animal, 
but  it  frequently  disturbs  the  bowels  and  thus  leads  to 
serious  complications. 

It  will  be  seen  that  most  of  the  above  rules  completely 
reverse  those  laid  down  by  the  old  farriers,  and  even  those 
advocated  by  such  comparatively  recent  writers,  as  Youatt, 
Martin,  Stonehenge,  May  hew.  Slater,  etc. ;  but  they  are  those 
now  accepted  and  taught  by  the  most  eminent  veterinarians  in 
England  and  America. 


102  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

COLD  IN  THE  HEAD— CATARRH. 

Definition. — An  inflammatory  affection  of  the  lining  mem- 
brane of  the  nostrils  and  parts  adjacent. 

Causes. — Sudden  changes  of  temperature ;  exposure  to  wet 
and  cold ;  change  from  country  air  to  city  stables  ;  chills  in 
changing  the  coat,  etc. 

Symptoms. — Sneezing,  running  from  the  nose  and  eyes, 
redness  of  the  eyes  and  of  the  membrane  of  the  nose,  slight 
feverishness,  dullness,  weakness.  The  discharge  from  the 
nose  is  at  first  thin  and  colorless,  but  soon  changes  to  a  thick, 
yellow  matter.  When  the  case  becomes  chronic,  it  is  called 
chronic  catarrh.  The  discharge  may  then  become  of  an  offen- 
sive odor,  and  varies  in  quantity,  sometimes  being  from  one 
nostril  only.  It  is  sometimes  mistaken  for  glanders,  but  is 
easily  distinguished,  as  in  glanders  the  discharge  is  thin  and 
sticky,  and  generally  without  any  perceptible  smell. 

Treatment. — This  is  simple  and  easy,  if  begun  in  time. 
Place  the  animal  in  a  well  ventilated  stall,  but  not  exposed 
to  draughts,  keep  him  blanketed  if  the  weather  is  cold,  and 
make  him  inhale  steam  from  a  bucket  of  hot  water  stirred 
with  a  wisk  of  hay,  and  heated  by  a  hot  iron  occasionally 
thrust  in  it.  A  few  ounces  of  nitre  may  be  dissolved  in  his 
water.     Purgatives  and  bleedings  should  not  be  thought  of. 

Give  internally : — 

No.  37.       Extract  of  belladonna, 

Powdered  camphor,  of  each,  1  dr. 

Mix  and  give  as  a  ball  or  smear  on  the  tongue. 

If  the  fever  runs  rather  high,  take 

No.  38.       Spirit  of  ammonia, 

Ether,  each,  2  dr. 

Put  in  half  a  pint  of  linseed  oil  or  gruel. 

Both  the  ball  and  the  fluid  should  be  given  every  night 
and  morning.     If  the  disease  threatens  to  extend  to  the 


Treatment  of  Catarrh,^  103 

throat,  wrap  it  well  in  a  large  poultice  containing  some  mus- 
tard. When  the  earlier  symptoms  yield,  the  principal  object 
becomes  to  build  up  the  strength  and  improve  the  appetite. 
For  this  we  can  use 

No.  39.       Carbonate  of  ammonia, 

Gentian,  of  each,  2  oz. 

Make  into  8  balls  with  linseed  meal,  and  give  one  night  and  morning. 

Mr.  Finlay  Dun  finds  the  following  a  useful  draught  when 
a  horse  has  cold,  fever,  and  impaired  appetite : — 

No.    40.     Epsom  salts.  2  oz. 

Nitre, 

Powdered  gentian, 

Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia,  each,  1  oz. 
Mix  in  a  pint  of  gruel. 

Another  valuable  mixture,  where  there  are  catarrhal  symp-* 
toms  and  sore  throat,  is : — 

No.  41.       Nitre,  4  drachms. 

Powdered  camphor,  2  drachms. 

Ipecacuanha,  , 

Extract  of  belladonna,  each,      1  drachm. 

Make  into  a  ball,  and  give  one  every  two  hours, 

Prof.  Gamgee  recommends  the  "abortive  treatment"  in 

commencing  catarrh,  by  injecting  the  nostrils  daily  for  three 

or  four  days  with  the  following  : — 

No.  42.       Sulphate  of  zinc,  2  drachms. 

Tepid  water,  4  pints. 

For  a  nasal  injection. 

The  same  may  be  used  with  advantage  in  the  chronic  forms 
of  nasal  gleet. 

ITASAL  GLEET. 

Definition. — A  low  form  of  chronic  inflammation  affecting 
the  lining  membrane  of  one  or  both  nostrils,  and  usually  ex- 
tending into  the  pouches  or  sinuses  in  the  upper  jaw-bone 
which  connect  with  them. 

Canses. — The  gleet  may  be  the  result  of  a  neglected 
catarrh,  especially  in  scrofulous  horses;  or  the  consequence 


104  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

of  influenza  or  the  epizooty;  or  from  some  foreign  body 
which  has  accidentally  or  purposely  been  thrust  up  the  nose; 
or  from  the  growth  of  polypi,  cancer,  etc. 

Symptoms. — The  horse  may  and  may  not  have  a  cough; 
his  condition  is  unthrifty,  his  coat  poor,  appetite  irregular, 
and  bowels  loose  or  constipated ;  or  again  none  of  these  gen- 
eral symptoms  is  present. 

There  is  a  discharge  from  one  or  both  nostrils.  It  is  ir- 
regular in  quantity,  bluish  white  in  color,  rather  thick  and 
sticky,  generally  foul  smelling.  Small  ulcers  and  excori- 
ations may  be  seen  on  the  membranes  of  the  nostrils — but 
not  the  characteristic,  pit-like  depressions  of  glanders.  The 
membrane  is  also  changed  in  hue,  and  often  swollen  and 
thickened. 

The  question  constantly  occurs  in  these  cases  whether  we 
have  to  do  with  a  case  of  glanders ;  and  not  unfrequently  it 
is  a  difficult  one  to  answer,  until  the  case  has  been  watched 
for  several  weeks.  It  is  prudent  to  be  on  the  safe  side,  and 
recommend  the  animal  be  separated  from  all  others,  and  his 
attendant  to  exercise  great  caution  in  handling  him. 

Treatment. — If  there  is  a  foreign  body  or  a  polypus 
present,  it  must  be  removed. 

When  no  such  obvious  cause  is  lo  be  found,  the  nostril  is 
to  be  syringed  daily  with  an  antiseptic,  cleansing  wash,  as : — 

No.  43.       Tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,  1  oz. 

Water,  1  qt. 

To  be  used  once  a  day. 

A  sharp  fly  blister  should  be  laid  upon  the  face  over  the 
chambers  and  sinuses  of  the  nose.  This  often  brings  about 
prompt  improvement. 

Chloride  of  lime  should  be  sprinkled  in  the  bottom  of  the 
manger,  so  that  the  horse  when  eating  is  constantly  inhaling 
its  odor. 


On  Common  Colds,  105 

InKalation  of  sulphurous  acid  gas,  well  diluted  with  air, 
is  frequently  useful.     The  gas  is  mixed  as  follows : — 

Mix  half  an  ounce  of  the  milk  of  sulphur  with  as  much 
powdered  charcoal,  and  burn  it  in  a  moderate  sized,  loose 
stable,  allowing  the  horse  to  remain  in  the  atmosphere  for 
half  an  hour.  Repeat  this  daily.  If  it  causes  much  cough- 
ing, it  is  too  concentrated,  and  must  be  diluted  with  more 
air  by  opening  the  door. 

For  the  chronic  form,  or  nasal  gleet,  one  of  the  following 
washes  should  be  syringed  up  the  nostrils  every  morning : — 

No.  44.       Chloride  of  zinc,  30  gr. 

Water,  2  qts. 

Or 

No.  45.       Carbolic  acid,  1  oz. 

Water,  2  qts. 

As  the  best  internal  medicine  in  such  cases,  Mr.  Chawner 
recommends : — 

No.  46.       Sulphate  of  copper. 

Nitre, 

Powdered  gentian,  of  each  1  dr. 

Make  into  a  ball  with  linseed  meal,  and  give  every  night  and  morning. 

COLD  IN  THE  CHEST -BKONCHITIS— CHRONIC  COUGH. 

Definition. — Inflammation  of  the  lining  membrane  of  the 
windpipe  and  smaller  air  tubes  leading  to  the  lungs,  charac- 
terized by  hoarse  cough  and  shortness  of  breath. 

CauseS.^Exposure  to  sudden  changes  of  temperature; 
standing  uncovered  when  heated  by  driving;  standing  in 
drafts,  and  getting  chilled  from  wet,  etc. 

Symptoms. — The  most  prominent  is  the  cough.  This  is 
at  first  dry  and  ringing,  but  soon  becomes  hoarse,  loud,  and 
in  spells.  The  pulse  and  breathing  are  both  generally  in- 
creased, sometimes  very  much  so,  to  the  extent  of  seventy  or 
eighty  in  the  minute.     The  animal  is  dull  and  listless,  hangs 


106  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

the  head,  is  thirsty,  and  drops  ropy  mucus  from  the  mouth. 
The  bowels  are  generally  constipated,  and  the  urine  high 
colored. 

On  examining  the  chest  there  is  no  dullness  on  percussion, 
which  distinguishes  it  from  pneumonia,  and  the  breathing  is 
evidently  not  painful,  which  marks  it  off  from  pleurisy.  On 
listening  with  the  ear,  moist  bubbling  sounds  can  be  heard 
in  the  chest,  caused  by  the  mucus  in  the  air  tubes  in  the 
lungs. 

As  the  disease  advances  toward  recovery,  a  profuse  dis- 
charge issues  from  the  nostrils,  the  inflammation  gradually 
subsides,  the  cough  becomes  less  hoarse  and  more  vigorous, 
the  discharge  becomes  thinner  and  finally  ceases.  But  if  the 
progress  is  toward  a  fatal  issue,  the  breathing  increases  in 
rapidity,  the  pulse  becomes  feeble  and  rapid,  a  bloody  froth 
hangs  from  the  mouth,  and  convulsions  seize  the  animal 
while  coughing,  and  close  the  scene. 

Treatment. — All  weakening  measures,  such  as  bleeding, 
tartar  emetic,  etc.,  are  to  be  avoided ;  so  also  are  all  "  cough 
mixtures,"  as  what  are  called  expectorants  are  almost  useless 
in  the  lower  animals.  In  the  very  first  stage  of  the  disease, 
while  the  membranes  are  dry  and  the  cough  ringing,  a  full 
dose  of  an  opiate  may  be  given  with  great  advantage.  The 
hypodermic  injection  of  morphia  is  the  most  desirable  form. 
Next  to  this,  60  to  80  drops  of  tincture  of  aconite  given  in  a 
pint  of  water  every  two  hours  will  reduce  the  pulse  promptly. 
Later  on,  to  soothe  and  relieve  cough,  take 

No.  47.        Carbonate  of  ammonia,  5 

Powdered  camphor, 

Extract  of  belladonna,  each  1  dr. 

Make  into  a  ball  with  linseed  meal,  and  give  this  amount  three  times 
a  day. 

For  the  feverishness,  half-ounce  doses  of  nitre  may  be  given 
in  the  water  once  or  twice  daily.     There  is  often  profuse 


Receipts  for  Coughs,  107 

etaleing  in  the  course  of  the  disease,  which  is  beneficial  rather 
than  otherwise.  If  the  bowels  are  constipated,  injections  of 
oil  and  soap  and  water  are  far  better  than  aloes  or  other  pur- 
gatives. If  there  is  much  weakness  remaining,  tonics  such 
as  No.  46  are  called  for. 

Chronic  Cough  is  a  troublesome  and  common  result  of  a 
neglected  cold.  The  cough  is  generally  loud  and  metallic, 
and  often  is  accompanied,  especially  in  cattle,  with  emacia- 
tion and  weakness.  Very  many  remedies  have  been  sug- 
gested for  it,  and  when  one  fails  after  a  reasonable  time,  it  is 
well  to  try  another.     Professor  Williams  recommends : — 

No.  48.   Prussic  (hydrocyanic)  acid,  dilute,  40  to  60  drops. 
Nitre, 

Bi-carbonate  of  Soda,  each  1  oz. 

Water,  1  qt. 

This  amount  twice  a  day,  a  strong  blister  to  the  breast,  and  careful 
housing  and  nursing. 

Mr.  Chawner  prefers  external  applications,  of  which  he 
says  the  following  is  the  best ; — 

No.  49.       Croton  oil,  15  to  20  drops. 

Glycerine,  1  oz. 

To  be  rubbed  on  the  throat  and  around  the  windpipe  once  every  ten 
days. 

Mr.  Finlay  Dun  recommends  the  following  cough  mix- 
ture:— 

No.  50.       Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic. 

Chlorate  of  potash,  each  1  oz. 

Extract  of  belladonna,  1  drachm. 

Make  into  a  draught,  with  water  or  gruel.  Valuable  in  chronic  irri- 
table cough,  especially  when  remaining  after  attacks  of  influenza  or 
sore  throat. 

No.  51.       Powdered  camphor. 

Extract  of  belladonna,  each        1  drachm. 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  2  oz. 

Give  in  a  pint  of  cold  gruel  several  times  a  day  to  horses  or  cattle,  where 
there  is  commencing  cough  and  sore  throat. 


i08  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

An  ordinary  cough  and  fever  draught  is : — 


Ko.  52.       Powdered  digitalis, 

^  drachm, 

Nitre, 

\  oz. 

Water, 

1  pint. 

For  a  drench. 

The  following  is  recommended  as  a  useful  drench  in  ob- 
Btinate  coughs : — • 

No.  "53.       Solution  of  potash,  1  drachm. 

Linseed  oil,  2  oz. 

Molasses,  1  oz. 

Give  in  a  pint  of  soft  water  or  milk  twice  a  day. 

Tar  water  has  been  well  spoken  of: 

No.  54.       Tar  water, 

Lime  water,  each  ^  pint 

Powdered  squills,  1  drachm. 

This  drink  every  morning  in  obstinate  coughs. 

As  a  sedative  mixture,  to  allay  the  violence  of  the  cough, 
we  may  employ: — 

No.  55.       Nitre,  4  drachms. 

Powdered  opium,  2  drachms, 

Prussic  acid  (dilute).  1  drachm. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  mucilage  or  linseed  tea,  and  give  half  a  tumblerful 
three  times  a  day. 

Sometimes  a  chronic  cough  of  long  standing  is  benefitted 

by  a  blister  on  the  chest.     Instead  of  the  usual  cantharides 

plaster  we  may  use  the  following,  which  leaves  less  of  a 

blemish : — 

No.  56.       Croton  oil,  1  drachm. 

Sulphuric  ether, 
Alcohol,  each  10  drachms. 

Apply  with  friction. 

Expectorants,  as  they  are  called, — medicines  designed  to 
loosen  the  cough  and  hasten  the  restoration  of  the  secretions 
to  their  natural  condition — do  not  act  with  as  decided  bene- 
fit in  the  lower  animals  as  in  man.  They  are,  however,  occa- 
sionally useful.     One  of  the  best  combinations  is  : — 


Contagious  Influenza,  109 

No.  57.        Gum  ammoniacum,  2  drachms. 

Powdered  squills, 

Aloes,  each  1  drachm. 

Mix  with  mass  or  meal  to  a  ball,  and  give  every  morning  in  long 
standing  coughs. 

Or  if  the  bowels  do  not  seem  costive,  and  the  cough  is  of 
an  irritable,  easily  excited,  spasmodic  character,  the  aloes  can 
be  beneficially  replaced  by  opium,  in  the  same  quantity. 

An  excellent  combination  is  : — 

No.  58.        Muriate  of  ammonia,  J  oz. 

Ipecauanha, 

Liquorice  powder,  each  1  drachm. 

Mix  with  tar,  honey,  or  molasses,  to  form  a  ball,  and  give  one  every 
morning  to  break  up  a  cold  on  the  chest. 

mFLUENZA— THE  EPIZOOTIC  DISEASE— CONTAGIOUS  CATARRHAL 
FEVER— PINK  EYE. 

Definition. — By  these  and  other  names  the  disease  is  known 
which  in  the  fall  of  1872,  and  often  before  and  since  has 
swept  through  the  United  States  attacking  almost  every 
horse.  It  is  a  contagious  epidemic  disease,  characterized  by 
inflammation  of  the  membranes  of  the  air  passages,  discharge 
from  the  nostrils,  cough  and  debility.  It  is  quite  fatal,  the 
mortality  in  the  Atlantic  States  being  in  1872  over  10,000 
horses  in  a  month. 

Cause. — The  immediate  cause  is  wholly  unknown,  but  it 
is  believed  to  be  owing  to  some  blood  poison  which  spreads 
through  the  air. 

S3^ptoms. — The  earliest  symptoms  are  weakness  shown  in 
a  staggering  gait,  hanging  head  and  trembling,  shivering  as 
from  cold,  loss  of  appetite ;  watery  discharge  from  the  eyes 
and  a  staring  coat  soon  follow.  The  pulse  is  quickened  and 
weak,  from  50  to  60  in  the  minute,  there  is  a  short  dry 
(^ough  and  the  breathing  is  a  little  hurried.  Later  on  the 
pulse  rises  to  80  or  90,  the  temperature  to  104°  or  105°,  and 
the  breathing  to  40  or  50  times  per  minute.     The  body  is 


110  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

propped  up  by  the  extended  legs  and  the  horse  is  evidently 
afraid  to  lie  down. 

The  bowels  are  bound,  the  urine  scanty.  Often  the 
disease  extends  to  the  throat  and  lungs,  bringing  in  bron- 
chitis and  pneumonia  as  complications.  The  nose  discharges 
a  white,  yellowish  or  greenish  matter.  Sometimes  rheumatic 
swellings  and  tenderness  take  place  in  the  muscles  and  joints 
of  the  limbs,  and  may  last  for  months,  leading  to  abscesses 
and  fistulse.  Death  comes  through  weakness  and  exhaus- 
tion, suffocation,  paralysis,  or  clots  forming  in  the  heart. 

Treatment. — Here  again  any  lowering  treatment  by  aco- 
nite, tartar  emetic,  lobelia,  bleeding  or  purging  is  simply 
murderous.  If  the  bowels  are  costive,  small  injections  of  warm 
water  or  oil  are  in  order.  From  the  first,  begin  with  tonics 
and  stimulants.  Mr.  Chawner  considers  the  very  best  to  be 
that  given  No.  39.  When  the  cough  is  very  distressing  the 
following  mixture  will  relieve  it : — 

No.  59.  Extract  of  belladonna,  ^  oz. 

Powdered  opium,  2  drachms. 

j  Powdered  camphor,  3  drachms. 

I  Powdered  liquorice,  2  oz. 

Molasses,  J  pint. 
Mix  them  well  together  and  smear  a  spoonM  on  the  tongue  two  or 
three  times  a  day. 

Good  nursing  is  indispensable.  The  horse  should  be  well 
blanketed  and  wrapped,  and  his  food  should  be  soft,  nourish- 
ing and  cooked.  An  ounce  of  saltpetre  should  be  placed  in 
his  drink  bucket. 

When  after  the  w^orst  is  over  there  appear  signs  of  dropsy 
by  swelling  of  the  legs  or  sheath,  one  of  the  following  pre- 
scriptions will  be  found  very  efficacious : — 

No.  60.  Iodide  of  potassium, 

Carbonate  of  ammonia, 

Powdered  gentian,  of  each  1  oz. 

Make  into  8  balls  and  give  one  morning  and  evening. 


Treatment  of  Epizooty,  111 

Or, 

No.  61.  Iodine, 

Iodide  of  potash, 

Camphor, 

Extract  of  belladonna,  each  J  drachm. 

This  is  highly  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Finlay  Dun  to  allay  the 
epizootic  cough,  sore  throat  and  catarrh.  A  similar  com- 
pound is: — 

No.  62.  Iodine,  20  grains. 

Iodide  of  potassium,  1  drachm. 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  2  oz. 

Water  gruel,  1  pint. 
For  one  dose  two  or  three  times  a  day. 

Recovery  should  begin  after  four  or  five  days,  but  for 
weeks  afterwards  the  horse  must  be  given  little  or  no  work, 
as  in  very  many  cases  a  too  early  return  to  labor  has  led  to 
fatal  relapses. 

During  the  disease  a  stimulating  and  soothing  draught 
may  be  prepared  as  follows : — 

No.  63.  Powdered  camphor. 

Carbonate  of  ammonia,  each        2  drachms. 

Sulphuric  ether,  1  oz. 

Give  in  a  pint  of  cold  ale  or  beer,  two  or  three  times  a  day. 

Or, 

No.  64.  Sweet  spirits  of  nitre. 

Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia,  each     2  oz. 

Extract  of  belladonna,  1  drachm. 

Give  in  a  pint  of  water  as  a  stimulant  and  anodyne  draught. 

Mr.  Finlay  Dun  says  that  in  the  roaring,  noisy  respiration 
which  accompanies  some  forms  of  epizootic  sore  throat,  no 
medicine  gives  such  immediate  relief  as  the  subcutaneous 
injection  of  belladonna  or  atropia.  For  the  spasmodic  cough 
which  often  follows  the  attack,  the  same  writer  recom- 
mends : — 

No.  65.  Chloroform,  1  drachm. 

Alcohol,  10  drachms. 

Extract  of  belladonna,  1  drachm. 

Give  in  a  pint  of  cold  linseed  gruel,  and  let  it  be  swallowed  very 
slowly,  so  as  to  insure  more  prolonged  local  effect. 


112  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

SORE  THROAT— LARYNGITIS— PHARYNGITIS. 

Definition. — Inflammation  of  the  lining  membrane  of  the 
upper  parts  of  the  food  and  air  passages,  usually  accompanied 
with  cough,  difficult  swallowing,  and  fever.  Although  a 
distinction  is  drawn  between  laryngitis  and  pharyngitis,  prac- 
tically they  are  nearly  always  both  present  when  either  is. 

Causes. — The  same  that  give  rise  to  colds  and  catarrhs. 
In  addition  to  those,  bots  may  cause  it  in  horses. 

Symptoms. — In  its  acute  and  severe  forms  this  is  a  dan- 
gerous disease.  The  breathing  rapidly  becomes  difficult  and 
sounds  hoarse.  The  inspiration  is  longer  than  the  respira- 
tion. The  animal's  nose  is  protruded,  the  eyes  are  prominent, 
watery  and  bloodshot.  There  is  a  distressed  expression  of 
the  face,  a  hoarse  rasping  cough,  cold  sweats  on  the  body  and 
legs,  and  they  and  the  ears  feel  cold  to  the  touch.  The  animal 
stamps  its  feet  repeatedly  and  is  excitable.  Prostration  and 
death  may  rapidly  ensue.  Generally,  however,  these  symp- 
toms are  present  in  a  much  milder  form.  There  is  usually  a 
running  from  the  nose,  and  evident  pain  in  the  act  of  swal- 
lowing. 

Treatment. — This  should  be  prompt  where  the  symptoms 
are  of  the  severe  type  above  described.  The  throat  should 
be  fomented  with  cloths  wrung  out  of  hot  mustard  water, 
the  animaFs  head  should  be  held  over  a  bucket  of  hot  water 
so  that  he  can  inhale  the  steam,  and  if  signs  of  strangling 
and  suffi^cation  appear,  no  hesitation  must  be  had  to  open  the 
upper  part  of  the  windpipe  lengthwise  with  a  sharp  knife, 
and  a  tube  of  lead  be  inserted  for  the  animal  to  breathe  through. 
Should  the  attempt  to  steam  the  throat  excite  the  horse,  it 
should  not  be  pushed,  as  it  is  of  great  importance  to  keep 
him  quiet. 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  swallowing,  medicine  caimot 
well  be  given  by  the  throat;  but  the  compound  cougli  mix- 


Treatment  of  Sore  Throat.  113 

ture^  No.  47  can  be  advantageously  smeared  on  the  tongue :  as 
can  also  the  following  : — 

No.  66.        Powdered  chlorate  of  potash,  4  oz. 

Powdered  guaiacum,  1  oz. 

Molasses,  i  pint. 

Mix  and  smear  a  spoonful  on  the  tongue  several  times  a  day. 

Much  good  will  sometimes  be  done  by  mixing  mustard 
with  water  to  a  thin  paste,  and  painting  it  outside  the  throat. 

When  the  patient  is  feverish,  and  the  throat  hot  and  dry, 

the  following  is  a  successful  mixture: — 

No.  67.       Powdered  ipecac,  1  drachm. 

Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia,  1  oz. 

Give  in  a  pint  of  cold  linseed  tea,  and  repeat  it  three  or  four  times  a 
day. 

In  the  more  chronic  forms,  astringent  applications  are  use- 
ful, as: — 

No.  68.        Tincture  of  myrrh,  2  oz. 

Camphor  mixture,  4  oz. 

Honey,  6  oz. 
Make  into  a  soft  mass,  and  give  with  a  spoon. 

Or, 

No.  69.       Tannic  acid,  2  drachms. 

Honey,  4  oz. 

Mix  and  give  as  the  last  mentioned. 

Rubbing  the  throat  with  mustard  or  blistering  it  may  be 
required  in  cases  of  long  standing.  A  stimulating  embroca- 
tion will,  however,  often  suffice.     A  very  common  one  is : — 

No.  70.        Oil  of  turpentine. 

Solution  of  ammonia, 

Olive  oil,  equal  parts. 

Use  by  rubbing  on  the  throat  daily. 

It  is  quite  as  efficient  as  many  more  complicated  ones. 

When  a  more  decided  action  is  desired,  the  croton  oil 
blistering  mixture.  No.  56,  will  be  found  valuable. 


114  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  LTTNGS— LTJNG  FEVER— PNEUMONIA. 

DeHnition. — An  inflammation  of  the  substance  of  the  lungs, 
followed  by  a  secretion  of  lymph,  which  fills  them  up  and 
solidifies  them,  leading  to  death  by  suffocation,  suppuration, 
or  else  to  gradual  absorption  of  the  lymph  and  recovery 

Causes. — The  general  causes  of  this  common,  dangerous 
and  therefore  important  disease  are  much  the  same  as  for 
colds,  namely,  exposure  to  sudden  changes  of  temperature, 
getting  chilled  or  wet,  and  draughty  stables.  Any  slight 
cold  or  sore  throat  may  rapidly  run  into  pneumonia.  It  is 
also  brought  on  by  irritating  smoke  and  gases,  poisons  in  the 
blood,  wounds  of  the  throat  or  lungs,  and  various  exhaust- 
ing diseases. 

Symptoms. — The  earlier  symptoms  are  increased  rapidity 
of  the  pulse,  reaching  70  or. 80  beats  per  minute;  a  tem- 
perature rising  to  103°  or  104°  and  above;  chilliness;  a  dry, 
dull  cough ;  and  coldness  of  the  legs  and  ears.  The  breath- 
ing is  generally  not  very  rapid  at  first,  not  more  than  20  or  30 
times  a  minute,  and  unless  there  is  pleurisy,  it  is  not  painful. 
Sometimes  a  rusty  colored,  or  blood  stained  mucus  discharge 
from  the  nostrils  takes  place.  The  horse  suffering  from  the 
disease  will  stand  on  his  feet  to  the  last,  but  an  ox  will  lie 
down.  After  the  first  three  or  four  days  the  breathing  in- 
creases in  rapidity,  the  pulse  becomes  feeble  or  intermittent, 
and  the  general  weakness  manifestly  increases. 

But  none  of  these  symptoms  is  positive  proof  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  disease.  When,  however,  in  addition  to  them 
we  find  dullness  on  percussion  over  those  portions  of  the 
chest  which  in  health  are  resonant,  we  need  have  no  longer 
any  doubt,  as  this  dullness  proves  the  lungs  are  solidified 
by  the  inflammation.  In  many  instances,  by  applying 
the  ear  behind  the  shoulder,  we  can  hear,  instead  of  the 
natural  soft  murmur  of  healthy  lungs  (see  page  73),  a  fine 


Treatment  of  Pneumonia,  115 

crackling  sound  like  the  rustling  of  silk,  which  is  a  sure 
sign  of  the  disease. 

Treatment. — Few  subjects  in  medicine  have  been  more 
actively  discussed  than  the  treatment  of  pneumonia,  and  the 
best  surgeons  are  not  entirely  agreed  upon  it  yet.  Neverthe- 
less, most  of  the  leading  authorities  agree  in  discountenancing 
bleeding,  blistering,  and  purging,  as  well  as  calomel,  tartar 
emetic  and  lobelia 

The  following  judicious  rules  are  those  laid  down  by  Pro- 
fessor Williams : 

1.  Place  the  animal  in  a  well  ventilated  loose  box,  but 
where  the  air  is  not  too  cold. 

2.  Clothe  and  wrap  the  body,  extremities  and  head  in 
suitable,  but  not  too  heavy  cloths. 

3.  Give  it  as  much  water  as  it  will  drink,  adding  to  the 
water,  if  there  is  much  fever,  about  an  ounce  of  nitre  or  20 
or  3  ^  drops  of  tincture  of  aconite  to  the  bucket  full. 

4.  If  the  bowels  are  bound,  loosen  them  by  injections  of 
oil  or  warm  water. 

5.  If  there  is  much  weakness,  give  two  drachms  each  of 
carbonate  of  ammonia  and  camphor,  in  the  form  of  a  ball, 
twice  daily, 

6.  Let  the  food  be  simple,  laxative,  cooling  and  nutritious, 
as  bran,  boiled  linseed  meal,  good  hay,  or  cooked  carrots  or 
turnips. 

7.  If  moderate  diarrhoea  or  profuse  staleing  come  on  they 
are  on  no  account  to  be  checked,  as  this  is  an  effort  of  nature 
to  throw  oif  the  disease. 

8.  If  there  is  great  exhaustion,  moderate  doses  of  whiskey 
may  be  given,  but  there  is  no  use  of  pushing  them,  unless 
their  good  effects  are  soon  seen. 

Prof.  Gamgee  believes  that  large  mustard  poultices  to  the 
chest  are  of  value.     He  also  teaches  that  in  young  and  full 


116  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

blooded  animals  it  is  good  practice  .to  bleed  when  the  disease 
is  seen  in  its  early  stages. 

For  the  febrile  symptoms  at  the  outset,  salhies  are  of  good 
service,  as: — 

No.  71.  Nitre,  ^  oz. 

Sulphate  of  soda,  2  oz. 

Mix  with  molasses  to  give  with  a  spoon,  or  with  a  pint  and  a  half  of 
water  as  a  drench. 

Or, 

No.  72.  Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  1  02:. 

Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia. 

Water,  of  each  6  oz. 

For  a  drench  repeated  every  two  hours  till  the  fever  abates. 

The  power  of  aconite  and  veratrum  viride  to  reduce  the 
pulse  and  lessen  the  oppression  on  the  lungs  is  undoubted ; 
20  to  30  drops  of  the  tincture  of  aconite  root  may  be  given ; 
or  one  to  two  drachms  of  the  tincture  of  veratrum  in  water 
every  two  hours.  The  danger  of  using  these  medicines  is 
that  they  are  apt  to  bring  about  great  depression  of  the 
system,  and  therefore  their  effects  must  be  watched  closely 
by  an  intelligent  person  and  not  left  to  an  ignorant  groom. 
As  soon  as  their  depressing  influences  are  noticed  in  the  fall- 
ing of  the  pulse,  the  sweats,  the  trembling  and  the  anxious 
eye,  they  must  be  suspended. 

PLEURISY. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  membrane  which 
covers  the  lungs  and  lines  the  chest,  followed  by  a  secretion 
of  a  large  quantity  of  watery  fluid  inside  this  membrane, 
and  consequent  pressure  on  the  lungs.  It  may  be  on  one  or 
both  sides. 

Causes. — Exposure  to  cold  is  generally  considered  one  of 
the  commonest  causes.  Attacks  sometimes  follow  clipping 
and  shearing.  It  is  also  very  frequent  as  an  extension  of  the 
inflammation  of  pneumonia  (pleuro-pneumonia),  and  bron- 


Signs  of  Pleurisy,  117 

chitis.      Occasionally  dii'ect  violence  and  wounds  lead    to 
pleurisy. 

Symptoms. — At  the  outset  of  the  disease  there  is  gener- 
ally a  chill,  staring  coat,  and  coldness  of  the  skin,  with 
signs  of  pain,  the  animal  pawing  the  ground  and  rolling. 
Soon,  however,  this  gives  way  to  so  much  stiffness  and  sore- 
ness that  any  movement  is  made  unwillingly,  and  if  pressed 
on  the  affected  side  the  animal  will  indicate  pain.  The 
breathing  is  rapid  and  incomplete,  as  every  act  of  respiration 
increases  the  pain  in  the  chest.  Hence  it  is  largely  performed 
by  the  abdominal  muscles.  The  pulse  is  hard  and  quick, 
and  there  is  a  short,  dry,  painful  cough.  If  the  inflamma- 
tion is  extensive,  the  movemcLts  of  the  animal  are  very  slow, 
unwilling  and  stiff.  On  listening  to  the  chest  in  the  early 
stage,  a  dry,  creaking  sound  is  heard,  like  two  pieces  of 
leather  rubbed  together,  caused  by  the  movements  of  the  in- 
flamed membranes  upon  each  other. 

In  the  second  stage,  which  comes  on  in  from  two  to  five 
days,  when  the  space  between  the  membrane  is  filled  with 
secreted  fluid,  this  sound  disappears.  On  percussion,  the 
lungs  sound  solid,  especially  in  their  most  dependent  por- 
tions. The  breathing  now  becomes  more  labored,  other 
muscles  are  called  on  to  aid,  even  extending  to  those  of  the 
tail,  which  is  moved  up  and  down  with  a  motion  like  a  pump 
handle ;  the  nostrils  are  distended  and  flap,  the  pulse  is  small 
and  irregular,  and  there  are  dropsical  swellings.  This  condi- 
tion is  that  of  ^^  w^ater  on  the  chest  '^  or  "  hydro-thorax.^^  If 
the  water  does  not  rise  higher  than  one-third  of  the  chest — 
easily  ascertained  by  percussion — there  is  a  fair  chance  of 
recovery. 

Treatment. — In  the  very  earliest  stage,  when  the  pain  is 
usually  most  acute,  a  full  dose  of  an  opiate  will  cut  it  short  in 
most  cases.     Thus  we  may  give : — 


118  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

No.  73.       Laudanum,  i  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  1  pint. 

Give  at  a  dose. 

This  may  be  repeated  in  a  few  hours  if  it  does  not  check 
the  symptoms.  The  painful  sides  should  be  fomented  with 
hot  water,  the  animal  warmly  clothed,  and  be  allowed  to 
drink  plenty  of  water  with  an  ounce  of  saltpetre  to  the  bucket 
full.  Bleeding,  blisters  and  purging  do  little  or  no  good, 
and  very  often  decided  harm.  Good  food,  quiet  and  warmth 
are  always  needed. 

If,  after  the  acute  symptoms  have  passed,  there  remain 
weakness,  a  rapid  pulse  (70  or  80),  scanty  urine  of  a  high 
color,  and  no  diminution  in  the  water  on  the  chest,  a  moder- 
ate mustard  liniment  may  be  rubbed  into  the  chest,  and  full 
doses  of  iron  given,  which  is  one  of  the  best  known  remedies 
in  this  condition. 

No.  74.        Tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,  .    ^  oz. 

This  amount  in  a  pail  of  water  twice  daily. 

The  effusion  can  also  be  drawn  off  by  tapping  the  chest 
with  a  trochar.  This  is  not  nearly  so  dangerous  an  operation 
as  it  used  to  be  thought.  To  perform  it  properly,  divide  the 
skin  with  a  lancet  between  the  eighth  and  ninth  rib ;  then 
stretch  the  skin  so  that  when  it  returns  to  its  natural  position 
it  will  cover  the  spot  punctured  by  the  trochar.  Plunge  the 
latter  into  the  sac  filled  with  the  effusion,  and  let  the  con- 
tained matter  flow  out  freely.  Some  recommejid  syringing 
the  sack  with  dilute  carbolic  acid  (one  drachm  to  ten  ounces 
of  water).  If  the  sac  refills,  it  can  be  tapped  again,  and  even 
a  permanent  external  opening  has  been  advocated  by  some. 
After  being  tapped,  the  animal  should  be  fed  up  with  nutri- 
tious food,  iron  tonics,  etc. 

It  is  well,  in  order  to  hasten  the  absorption  of'  the  water 
in  the  chest,  to  give  the  following : — 


Unsoundness  of  the   Wind,  119 

No.  75.       Iodide  of  potassium, 

Carbonate  of  ammonia,  each       1  drachm. 

Gentian,  powdered,  ^  oz. 

Give  as  a  ball  or  drench  twice  a  day. 

HEAVES— BROKEN  WIND— EMPHYSEMATOUS  ASTHMA. 

Definition. — A  chronic  disease  of  the  breathing  organs, 
without  inflammation,  characterised  by  a  peculiar  breathing, 
the  breath  being  drawn  in  with  ease,  but  breathed  out  by 
two  distinct  efforts.  There  is  always  a  peculiar  cough  of  a 
hollow  muffled  sound,  easily  produced  at  any  time  by  pres- 
sure on  the  upper  part  of  the  windpipe ;  and  nearly  always 
there  is  indigestion  with  flatulence. 

Causes. — The  immediate  cause  is  rupture  of  the  small 
cells  in  the  lungs,  so  that  the  animal  cannot  expel  the  air  he 
has  drawn  in  without  an  extra  and  double  effort.  This 
rupture  is  brought  about  by  putting  the  horse  to  hard  work 
with  his  stomach  full  of  coarse  and  undigested  food ;  or  by 
hereditary  predisposition. 

Symptoms. — Usually  the  character  of  the  expirations 
above  noted  and  the  cough  leave  no  doubt  of  the  disease. 
On  percussion,  the  chest  is  found  to  be  more  resonant  than 
natural ;  and  on  listening  with  the  ear  to  the  chest,  a  rustling 
sound  is  heard,  denoting  the  presence  of  air  in  the  lung 
tissue.  The  symptoms  are  always  more  severe  when  the 
animal  has  a  full  stomach.  The  animal  usually  is  unthrifty, 
dyspeptic  and  with  a  harsh  dry  coat. 

Treatment. — A  cure  is  impossible ;  but  great  relief  may 
be  had  by  feeding  the  horse  on  light  nutritious  food  in  mod- 
erate quantities,  and  by  improving  his  digestion  by  alkalies, 
acids  or  tonics.  A  purgative  should  occasionally  be  admin- 
istered and  the  bowels  kept  regular. 

A  celebrated  recipe  of  the  late  Professor  Dick  in  this 
disease  was : — 


120  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

No.  76.  Calomel, 

Digitalis, 

Opium, 

Camphor,  of  each  30  grains. 
Make  into  a  ball  and  give  once  or  twice  a  day. 

After  the  first  week  the  calomel  should  be  omitted  and  the 
three  remaining  ingredients  continued. 

Prof.  Law  considers  the  most  useful  of  all  medicines  to 

be  an  arsenical  preparation,  as  : — 

No.  77.  Arsenic,  Fowler's  solution,     1  oz. 

Belladonna  extract,  1  drachm. 

Tincture  of  ginger,  ^  drachm. 

Mix  with  a  pint  of  water  for  a  drench  and  give  every  morning  for  a 
month  or  two. 

If  the  animal  is  turned  out  to  pasture  on  clean  short  grass, 
and  given  this  regularly,  it  will  cure  mild  and  recent  cases. 

ROAEING—HIGHBLOWING— THICK  WIND— WHISTLING. 

Definition. — These  peculiar  noises  all  arise  from  some 
diseased  condition  of  the  windpipe.  Roaring  when  of  long 
standing  is  owing  to  atrophy  or  degeneration  of  the  muscles 
of  the  larynx.  Thick  wind  arises  from  an  inflamed  and 
thickened  condition  of  the  lower  and  smaller  branches  of  the 
breathing  tubes.  Whistling  is  a  sharp  sound  arising  from  a 
narrowing  of  the  windpipe,  usually  at  its  upper  portion 
near  the  larynx.  Both  roaring  and  whistling  occur  during 
inspiration. 

Causes. — All  these  disorders  may  follow  sharp  colds,  or 
pneumonia,  strangles,  diseases  of  the  nose,  tumors  or  tight 
reining.  They  are  also  frequently  hereditary,  and  constitute 
an  unsoundness. 

Symptoms. — In  addition  to  the  peculiar  sound  above 
mentioned,  the  roarer  generally  has  a  cough  which  is  pecu- 
liar, being  a  loud  sharp  dry  sound,  half  a  roar,  half  a  cough. 
In  thick  wind  the  breathing  is  more  rapid  than  usual,  and 
there  is  a  short,  dry  loud  cough,  which  can  be  elicited  at  any 


Treatment  of  Thick  Wind,  121 

time  by  making  the  animal  take  a  sudden  movement,  or 
giving  him  an  unexpected  blow  upon  the  ribs. 

Treatment. — The  most  successful  treatment  of  roaring  has 
been  by  firing  or  blistering  the  skin  of  the  laryngeal  region. 
It  has  been  found  that  hypodermic  injections  of  strychnia 
will  excite  the  atrophied  muscles,  as  in  the  form  given  below. 

Thick  wind  may  be  improved  and  sometimes  cured  by 
proper  medicines.     Mr.  Chawner  recommends : — 

No.  78.  Powdered  nitre, 

Powdered  opium, 

Powdered  camphor,  each  1  drachm. 

Make  a  ball  and  give  it  once  or  twice  a  day  before  feeding,  for 
several  days. 

The  following  is  excellent  for  the  same  purpose : — 

No.  79.  Powdered  nitre. 

Extract  of  belladonna,  each        1  drachm, 
Arseniq,  8  grains. 

For  one  ball  to  be  given  once  daily  for  a  week. 

Give  easily  digested  food  in  small  quantities  at  a  time,  and 
&.5  little  water  as  possible.  Always  let  the  horse  rest  an 
hour  after  feeding. 

When,  as  is  generally  the  case,  roaring  is  owing  to  paraly- 
sis of  the  muscles  of  the  larynx,  it  can  be  successfully 
treated  by  the  plan  recommended  by  Mr.  Mavor  of  London. 
This  is  by  injecting  strychnine  subcutaneously  in  doses  of 
one-half  to  one  grain,  repeating  this  every  two  or  three  days. 
It  is  also  reputed  to  have  been  of  manifest  advantage  when 
given  by  the  mouth,  as : — 

No.  80.  Strychnine,  3  grains, 

Linseed  meal,  Sufficient. 

Make  a  ball  and  give  twice  a  day. 

Another  plan  of  treatment  is  to  rub  daily  or  every  other 
day  the  throat  with  iodine  ointment: — 

No.  81.  Iodine,  1  drachm. 

Iodide  of  potash,  2  drachms. 

Lard,  2  oz. 
Mix  at  a  gentle  heat. 


122  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

And  to  give  internally  a  cough  ball  of  the  following  com- 
position : — 

No.  82.  Digitalis,  1  drachm. 

Nitre,  2  drachms. 

Powdered  liquorice,  4  drachms. 

Mix  with  enough  tar  to  form  a  ball  and  give  it  twice  a  day. 

The  application  of  a  seton  to  the  front  of  the  throat  is  a 
form  of  counter  irritation  which  sometimes  stimulates  the 
muscles  of  the  larynx. 


The  Digestive  Organs,  123 

CHAPTEH  III. 

DISEASES   OF  THE   0±lGANS   OF   DIGESTION. 

General  Remarks  on  Diseases  of  the  Digestive  Organs. 
Local  Inflammation  in  and  around  the  3Iouth — Lampas — ■ 

Vives — Barbs  and  Paps — Tender  and  Bleeding  Gums — 

Decayed  Teeth — Tooth  Cough, 
Ind  gestion  and  Dyspepsia, 
Cribbing —  Crib-biting —  Wind-sucking, 
Colic — The  Gripes, 

Tympany — Flatulent  Colic — Tympanites — Swollen  Belly, 
Constipation —  Costiveness, 
Diarrhcea — Scouring, 
Inflammation  of  the  Bowels — Enteritis, 
Dysentery — Bloody  Flux —  Colitis. 
Congestion   and    Inflammation   of  the   Liver — Sepatitis — ■ 

Jaundice — The  Yellows, 
Intestinal  Worms, 
The  Bots, 

GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  DISEASES  OF  THE   DIGESTIVE  ORGANS. 

Most  diseases  of  these  organs  arise  from  errors  in  feeding, 
or  from  folly  in  ignorant  persons  pouring  down  irritating 
medicines  or  administering  injurious  "condition  powders.^' 
In  the  horse  the  intestines  generally  suffer ;  in  the  ox  and 
sheep  it  is  more  frequently  the  stomachs. 

The  long  tract  of  the  intestines  in  the  horse,  to  which  we 
have  referred  on  a  previous  j)age,  and  the  important  physio- 
logical fact  that  he  has  but  one  stomach  with  which  to  do  the 
work  for  which  four  are  assigned  to  the  ox  and  sheep,  render 
him  highly  sensitive  to  morbid  disturbances  of  these  organs. 
There  is  also  a  closer  sympathy  in  him  than  in  the  others 


X24  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

between  the  stomach  and  the  brain,  slight  attacks  of  indi- 
gestion frequently  leading  to  vertigo  or  "  staggers/' 

As  was  remarked  when  speaking  of  the  anatomy  of  the 
digestive  tract,  it  properly  begins  with  the  teeth  and  mouth , 
and  closes  with  the  anus ;  in  the  consideration  of  its  diseases, 
therefore,  all  the  various  parts  and  organs  with  which  the 
food  comes  in  contact  from  its  entrance  to  its  exit  from  the 
body  will  be  discussed. 

LOCAL  INFLAMMATIONS  IN  AND  ABOUND  THE^MOUTH. 

There  are  quite  a  number  of  localized  inflammations  which 
occur  in  and  around  the  mouth,  and  which  have  received 
meaningless  names  from  the  old  English  farriers,  most  of 
which,  however,  are  still  preserved  in  one  part  of  this  country 
or  another,  through  the  traditions  of  the  stable. 

Symptoms. — The  general  symptoms  which  indicate  that  a 
horse  has  some  painful  swelling  in  the  mouth  are  a  champing 
of  the  jaws,  a  return  of  his  food  to  the  manger  without  swal^ 
lowing  it,  and  a  loss  of  condition  in  consequence.  He  is 
restless  and  uneasy,  and  sometimes  there  is  a  dribbling  of 
saliva  from  the  mouth. 

The  principal  forms  of  these  inflammations,  with  their 
popular  names  and  treatment  are  as  follows : — 

1.  Lampas. 

An  active  inflammation  of  the  ridges  or  fleshy  bars  in  the 
roof  of  the  mouth,  generally  occurring  in  a  young  horse 
while  shedding  his  teeth ;  sometimes  occurring  in  older  ones 
from  overfeeding. 

The  "bars"  swell  so  much  that  sometimes  they  project 
below  the  level  of  the  nippers,  and  are  so  tender  that  all  hard 
and  dry  food  is  refused. 

The  proper  treatment  is  to  scarify  the  bars  with  a  sharp 
lancet ;  and  should  this  not  reduce  the  swellings  promptly, 


Disorders  of  the  Mouth.  125 

they  should  be  touched  with  the  stick  of  nitrate  of  silver,  or 
swabbed  with  a  strong  solution  every  day  until  they  disap- 
pear. 

2.  Vives. 

These  are  chronic  enlargements  of  the  glands  of  the  lower 
jaw,  encroaching  on  the  cavity  of  the  mouth.  They  are  lia- 
ble to  become  tender  and  to  discharge  in  the  mouth. 

The  treatment  is  by  applying  to  the  skin  over  where  the 
swelling  can  be  felt  an  ointment  of  biniodide  of  mercury, 
one  drachm  of  the  biniodide  to  the  ounce  of  lard,  repeated 
daily  until  a  free  secretion  from  the  skin  is  established. 
This  will  nearly  always  disperse  them.  Or  they  may  be 
painted  with  tincture  of  iodine ;  or  a  tartar  emetic  ointment 
may  be  used,  as  : — 

No.  83.        Tartar  emetic,  2  drachms. 

Olive  oil,  1  drachm. 

Lard,  1  oz. 

Kub  together  the  tartar  emetic  and  oil  until  smooth,  then  add  the 
lard.     For  a  pustulating  ointment. 

3.  Barbs  and  Paps. 

By  these  and  other  names  are  known  the  swellings  caused 
by  obstructions  of  the  ducts  of  the  salivary  glands.  Their 
position  indicates  their  origin. 

The  treatment  is  by  an  incision  over  the  swelling  with  a 
sharp  pointed  knife ;  or  by  holding  a  pencil  of  nitrate  of  sil- 
ver against  it  every  day  for  a  moment  or  two.  The  horse 
should  have  a  moderate  dose  of  a  laxative  medicine  (3  or  4 
drachms  of  aloes),  and  his  food  be  changed  for  a  time. 

4.  Tender  and  Bleeding  Gums. 

In  young  and  scrofulous,  and  in  quite  old  horses,  it  is  not 
unusual  to  find  the  gums  swollen,  and  to  the  touch  soft, 
spongy  and  bleeding  easily.  Such  horses  have  usually  wide 
spaces  between  the  teeth,  which  are  found  to  be  full  of  partly 
decomposed  food. 


126  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

As  the  act  of  mastication  is  painful,  the  animal  performs 
it  imperfectly,  which  becomes  visible  in  his  deteriorated  con- 
dition, as  well  as  by  an  inspection  of  his  dung,  which  will 
consist  in  part  of  half  digested  food.  The  breath  is  un- 
pleasant and  signs  of  indigestion  are  present. 

Treatment. — The  matter  lodged  between  the  teeth  should 
be  removed  every  day  with  water  and  a  properly  constructed 
brush ;  afterwards  the  parts  should  be  washed  with  a  solution 
of  chloride  of  lime  (an  ounce  to  the  pint).  A  spoonful  of 
the  following  should  then  be  smeared  on  and  around  the 
teeth : — 

No.  84.  Powdered  chlorate  of  potash,         2  drachms. 

Honey  or  molasses,  2  oz. 

The  space  between  the  teeth  can  be  filled  with  gutta  percha 
nlling. 

When,  however,  in  very  old  horses,  this  condition  is  the 
result  of  natural  decay  of  the  processes  of  the  gums,  it  can 
only  be  alleviated  by  cleansing  the  teeth  and  giving  soft 
food,  of  an  easily  digestible  character. 

5.  Decayed  Teeth. 

The  teeth  in  the  horse  which  are  liable  to  decay  are  the 
molar  or  double  teeth.  The  decay  may  attack  the  crown  of 
the  tooth,  its  neck  or  its  fang. 

Symptoms. — These  may  be  briefly  arranged  as  follows: — 

1.  Pain  in  eating  as  shown  by  "quidding,^'  that  is  throw-r 
ing  back  from  the  mouth  masses  of  half  chewed  food. 

2.  Flow  of  saliva,  "dribbling"  or  "slobbering." 

3.  Swelling  of  the  gum,  redness,  and  pain  around  the 
diseased  tooth. 

4.  Presence  of  a  black  spot  upon  it. 

6.  Sharp  pain  when  the  tooth  is  smartly  rapped. 
6.  A  fetid,  sometimes  excessively  foul  breath. 


Discrrders  of  the  Teeth.  127 

Treatment. — The  only  treatment  is  to  remove  the  decayed 
tooth.  Animal  dentistry  has  not  as  yet  gone  so  far  as  to  fill 
and  preserve  decayed  teeth.  It  has,  indeed,  been  done,  the 
gutta  percha  filling  being  used ;  and  there  are  reasons  why 
in  a  young  and  valuable  animal  it  would  be  far  better  than 
extraction ;  but  to  fill  the  teeth  properly  is  a  delicate  task ; 
and  if  done  improperly,  the  result  is  worse  than  removal. 

The  chief  objection  to  extraction  is  that  the  corresponding 
tooth  of  the  opposite  jaw  increases  in  length  and  becomes  an 
object  of  serious  annoyance.  It  must  be  periodically  ex- 
amined ever  after,  and  when  it  encroaches  beyond  its  neigh- 
bors it  must  be  rasped  back  to  their  level. 

6.   Tooth  Cough, 

Horses  at  four  years  old  are  very  subject  to  a  distressing 
paroxysmal  cough.  The  animal  will  sometimes  cough  twenty 
or  thirty  times  without  stopping.  The  sound  of  the  cough 
is  loud,  sonorous  and  prolonged. 

The  cause  of  this  cough  is  an  irritation  of  the  mouth,  ex- 
tending to  the  throat,  brought  on  by  the  cutting  of  the  sixth 
molar  tooth,  which  is  the  one  standing  last  in  the  row,  and 
the  replacement  of  the  third  temporary  molar  by  its  perma- 
nent substitute,  both  of  which  occur  at  this  age. 

With  the  cough  there  may  be  associated  some  diarrhoea, 
indigestion  and  loss  of  condition  from  the  difficulty  in  chew- 
ing the  food  properly,  and  the  irritation  it  consequently  causes. 

Treatment. — This  consists  largely  in  careful  dieting;  hay, 
not  much  bran;  grass,  if  in  season.  The  mouth  should  be 
washed  in  some  cooling  mixture,  as : 

No.  85.  Borax  or  alum,  powdered,  1  oz. 

Water,  1  pint. 

Internally,  a  moderate  laxative  should  be  given,  if  the 
bowels  are  disordered,  so  as  to  cleanse  them  from  the  half 


128  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

masticated  food,  and  a  daily  dose  of  bicarbonate  of  soda,  say 
one  ounce,  in  the  water. 

INDIGESTION  OR  DYSPEPSIA. 

Two  varieties  of  indigestion  are  found  in  the  horse,  the 
one  associated  with  over-fullness  or  engorgement  of  the 
stomach,  the  other  with  an  ordinary  use  of  that  organ.  The 
indigestion  of  cattle,  known  as  "hoven,^'  presents  such  pecu- 
liar features,  that  it  will  be  considered  in  the  section  devoted 
k>  the  diseases  of  cattle. 

Causes. — Indigestion  without  engorgement  arises  in  colts 
and  young  horses  from  the  irritation  of  teething,  from  re- 
moval from  the  dam  at  too  early  an  age,  draughts  of  cold 
milk,  suckling  Avhen  the  dam  is  heated,  etc.  In  older  ani- 
mals defective  teeth,  debility  of  the  stomach,  and  improper 
and  irregular  feeding  are  common  causes.  Indigestion  with 
engorgement  arises  from  ravenous  eating,  filling  the  stomach 
to  an  excessive  degree. 

Symptoms. — These  are,  in  the  indigestion  without  engorge- 
ment, loss  of  appetite  or  a  capricious  appetite,  desire  to  eat 
filth,  soreness  of  the  mouth,  and  increased  thirst.  The  ani- 
mal is  hide-bound,  has  a  dry,  scurfy  skin,  irregular  bowels, 
and  passes  much  wind.  There  are  often  a  dry  short  cough 
and  colicky  pains,  sometimes  diarrhoea,  and  not  unfrequently 
megrims  or  fits  of  giddiness.  The  feces  are  dark  colored 
and  of  fetid  odor;  and  often  the  urine  is  dark  colored  and 
on  standing  in  a  vessel  deposits  a  reddish  sediment. 

Indigestion  from  over-fullness  of  the  stomach  is  indicated 
by  pawing  with  the  fore  feet,  especially  the  near  one,  belching 
of  wind,  colicky  pains,  and  some  degree  of  fullness  of  the 
abdomen.  There  is  also  qrack  pulse,  labored  breathing,  and 
dribbing  of  saliva  from  the  mouth. 

In  severe  cases  the  stomach  becomes  inflamed  and  the  irri- 


Treatment  of  Indigestion.  129 

tation  extends  to  the  brain.  The  animal  is  giddy,  staggers, 
is  dull  and  sleepy.  This  condition  is  that  called  ^^  sleepy 
staggers;''  or  the  brain  becomes  inflamed,  and  we  have 
"mad  staggers";  conditions  the  management  of  which  we 
have  already  considered  (p.  87). 

Treatment. — In  ordinary  cases  of  chronic  indigestion,  we 
should  first  examine  the  mouth  and  teeth  and  remove  any 
cause  of  irritation  from  them;  next  we  should  inquire  care- 
fully into  the  diet,  and  see  that  it  is  moderate  in  quantity, 
nutritious,  and  offered  at  regular  intervals;  when  these  are 
done,  it  will  be  time  to  think  of  medicines. 

.Generally  it  will  be  advisable  to  give  a  mild  purge  of  oil 
or  of  aloes,  w^itli  ginger.  After  this  has  operated,  the  follow- 
ing is  recommended  by  Prof.  Williams  as  a  tonic  exercising 
a  happy  effect : — 

No.  86.  Bicarbonate  of  soda,  ^t 

Powdered  gentian,  each  |  oz. 

Powdered  nux  vomica,  20  grains. 

For  one  dose  twice  daily. 

Careful  grooming  is  indispensable,  and  if  the  hair  is  thick 
clipping  it  will  sometimes  act  almost  magically. 

Of  the  various  stomach  stimulants  the  following  may  be 
used : — 

No.  87.  Calumba,  powdered,  2  drachms. 

Common  salt, 

Fenugreek,  each  1  drachm. 

Mix  with  molasses  to  form  a  ball. 

Or, 

No.  88.  Peruvian  bark,  powdered,  1  oz. 

Flour  of  mustard,  1  drachm. 

This  may  be  mixed  with  the  food ;  or  if  refused,  given  as  a  ball. 

When  the  indigestion  is  from  a  weak  stomach,  as  occurs 
after  an  acute  disease,  two  drachms  of  the  medicinal  dilute 
muriatic  acid  can  be  added  to  the  drinking  water  two  or 
three  times  a  day,  and  will  often  exert  a  happy  effect. 

9 


No. 

89. 

Linseed  oil, 
Croton  oil, 

For 

one 

dose 

'. 

Or, 

No. 

90. 

Powdered  aloes, 
Oil  of  turpentine, 
Calomel, 

For 

one 

dose 

130  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

In  acute  indigestion,  or  impaction  of  the  stomach,  the 
ot^ect  is  to  obtain  an  action  of  the  bowels  as  promptly  as 
possible.  The  horse  cannot  empty  his  stomach  by  vomiting, 
and  hence  the  excess  of  food  he  has  taken  must  be  discharged 
by  the  intestines.    Hence  a  powerful  purge  is  demanded,  as : — 

1  pint. 

20  to  30  drops. 


4  to  6  drachms. 

2  ounces. 
1  drachm. 


The  belly  should  be  fomented  with  blankets  wet  with  hot 
water,  and  injections  should  be  thrown  into  the  rectum  of 
soap  and  water,  oil,  and  even  with  a  tablespoonful  of  tobacco 
tea.  If  sleepy  staggers  come  on,  a  dose  of  whiskey  and  gin- 
ger is  serviceable.  Care  should  be  taken  that  the  animal  does 
not  throw  himself  down  and  fatally  rupture  his  stomach. 

An  active  injection  for  the  rectum  in  such  cases  is: — 

No.  91.  Croton  oil,  20  to  30  drops. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  3  to  4  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  1  pint. 
To  be  thrown  well  up  the  bowelso 

CRIB3ING-CRIB-BITING— WIND-SUCKING. 

These  vicious  habits  in  the  horse  are  symptoms  of  a  disor- 
der of  the  digestive  apparatus,  and  they  are  generally  found 
in  horses  with  a  dry  coat,  hide-bound,  and  of  unsightly  ap- 
pearance. 

Symptoms. — A  crib-biter  seizes  the  manger  or  some  other 
furniture  with  his  teeth,  arches  his  neck,  and  makes  a  belch- 
ing noise.  After  a  time  this  is  followed  by  enlargement  of 
the  abdomen.  A  chronic  cribber  can  easily  be  recognized 
by  the  appearance  of  his  front  teeth,  which  are  worn  and 


On  Crih-Biting.  131 

rounded  at  their  front  edges,  and  by  the  enlarged  and  over- 
grown appearance  of  the  muscles  which  depress  the  jaw. 

A  wind-sucker  smacks  his  lips,  gathers  air  into  his  mouth, 
extends  his  head  or  presses  it  against  some  solid  body,  arches 
his  neck,  gathers  his  feet  together,  and  swallows  air,  blowing 
himself  out  to  a  very  visible  extent. 

Both  animals  are  subject  to  colic,  indigestion  and  diabetes, 
the  wind-sucker  more,  however,  than  the  cribber. 

Treatment. — These  habits  are  considered  incurable.  They 
may  be  provented  by  various  mechanical  means. 

For  cribbing,  the  throat  may  be  compressed  with  a  neck 
strap  of  peculiar  shape,  to  be  had  of  most  saddlers ;  or  what 
is  called  a  "  bar  muzzle  ^'  may  be  applied,  which  allows  the 
horse  to  eat  but  not  to  seize  with  his  teeth.  For  wind  suck- 
ing, a  strap  studded  with  sharp  points  of  iron  opposite  the 
lower  part  of  the  jaw  is  the  best  preventive. 

In  both  cases  attention  should  be  given  to  the  indigestion 
and  to  the  condition  of  the  teeth  and  bowels. 

COLIC— THE  GRIPES. 

The  horse  is  subject  to  two  kinds  of  colic,  spasmodic  and 
flatulent,  which  will  be  considered  separately. 

SPASMODIC  COLIC-GRIPES. 

Definition. — -A  spasmodic  contraction  of  the  muscular  coats 
of  the  intestines,  usually  commencing  suddenly,  causing  severe 
pain,  and  with  a  tendency  to  run  into  inflammation. 

Causes. —  These  are  various.  Improper  food,  sudden 
changes  of  diet,  exhaustion  from  overwork,  drinking  cold 
water  when  heated  or  exhausted,  constipation,  worms,  and 
ulcers  of  the  stomach,  have  all  been  set  down  as  frequently 
leading  to  the  complaint. 

Symptoms. — In  intestinal  colic  the  symptoms  are  sudden 


132  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

pain,  pawing,  kicking  at  the  belly,  looking  round  at  the 
flanks,  lying  down,  rolling,  struggling,  or  lying  outstretched ; 
then  suddenly  rising,  shaking  the  body  and  remaining  a 
short  time  free  from  pain.  After  a  short  time  the  pain  re- 
turns, and  the  animal  goes  through  similar  motions.  During 
the  attacks,  the  breathing  and  pulse  are  quickened.  There 
are  generally  frequent  small  discharges  from  the  bowels  and 
bladder,  which  latter  is  apt  to  be  distended. 

Treatment. — The  rational  and  only  safe  treatment  of  colic 
is  first  to  relieve  the  pain  with  an  opiate,  and  next  to  obtain 
a  free  action  of  the  bowels  by  a  purge,  which  is  not  too  vio- 
lent in  its  action.  For  the  first  of  these.  Prof.  Williams  re- 
commends half  an  ounce  to  an  ounce  of  laudanum  in  warm 
water ;  and  for  the  second,  from  five  to  ten  drachms  of  aloes. 

Mr.  Chawner  prefers  the  following  mixture,  which  he 
says  he  has  never  known  to  fail  in  a  genuine  ease  of  colic : 

No.  92.       Chloroform, 

Laudanum, 

Sulphuric  ether,  of  each  1  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  8  oz. 

For  one  dose. 

A  still  more  convenient  and  also  more  prompt  plan  is  to 

inject  under  the  skin  with  the  hypodermic  syringe  a  full 

dose,  say  10  grains,  of  morphia,  and  repeat  it  in  an  hour  if 

the  pain  does  not  subside.      Beyond  this  all  that  will  be 

necessary  will  be  an  injection,  as  : — 

No.  93.       Oil  of  turpentine,  ^  to  1  pint. 

Soap  suds,  1  qt. 

As  other  valuable  combinations,  suitable  to  special  cases, 
Mr.  Finlay  Dun  recommends : — 

No.  94.        Tincture  of  aconite,  30  drops. 

Powdered  aloes,  ^  oz. 

Mix  and  give  as  a  drench  in  a  pint  of  water. 

When  there  is  an  abundant  generation  of  gas  with  violent 
swelling,  an  excellent  drench  is : — 


Treatment  of  Colic,  133 

No.  95.       Powdered  aloes,  J  oz. 

Spirits  of  ammonia  (milder), 
Sulphuric  ether,  each  1  oz. 

Mix  with  a  pint  of  water  and  give  promptly. 

A  prompt  relief  is  generally  afforded  by  chloral : 

No.  96.        Hydrate  of  chloral,  1  to  2  oz. 

Sugar,  2  oz. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  water. 

One  of » the  colic  draughts  of  the  ifdinburgh  Veterinary 
College  is : — 

No.  97.        Laudanum, 

Oil  of  turpentine,  each  1  to  2  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  1  pint. 

Mix  for  a  drench. 

For  general  service,  few  colic  draughts  are  more  effectual 
than 

No.  98.       Aloes,  4  or  5  drachms. 

Laudanum. 

Sulphuric  ether,  each         1  oz. 
Eub  down  the  aloes  in  a  quart  of  warm  water,  and  add  the  laudanum 
and  ether  when  it  is  nearly  cold. 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre  is  another  valuable  remedy: 

No.  99.        Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  2  oz. 

Aloes,  4  drachms. 

Dissolve  the  aloes  in  a  pint  of  cold  water,  and  add  the  spirits. 

An  old  colic  powder  that  used  to  be  so  famous  that  it  was 
called  the  "  Blessed  powder  "  is  : — 

No.  100.     Powdered  aloes. 

Powdered  ginger. 

Powdered  senna. 

Cream  of  tartar,  equal  parts  of  each. 

The  dose  is  about  two  ounces  made  into  a  ball  or  in  a  drench. 

A  recipe  approved  by  Youatt  is : — 

No.  101.     Oil  of  turpentine,  3  oz. 

Laudanum,  1  oz. 

Mix  and  give  in  a  pint  of  warm  ale. 

If  it  does  not  relieve  in  half  an  hour,  give  as  a  second  dose 


134  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

half  the  quantity,  together  with  one  ounce  of  aloes  dissolved 
in  warm  water. 

Another  appropriate  combination  is : — 

No.  102.     Sulphuric  ether, 

Laudanum, 

Spirits  of  camphor,  each  1  oz. 

Essence  of  peppermint,  1  drachm. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  gruel  or  ale. 

TYMPAF?— FLATULENT  COLIC— TYMPAITITES-SWOLLEN  BELLY. 

Definition. — Chronic  distension  of  the  bowels,  with  ten- 
dency to  inflammation  and  rupture  of  their  coats. 

Causes. — This  dangerous  form  of  colic  usually  arises  du- 
ring the  course  of  some  other  disease,  but  it  may  also  appear 
as  a  consequence  of  spasmodic  colic,  or  without  any  assign- 
able cause.  It  is  also  attributed  to  food  which  easily  under- 
goes fermentation,  as  raw  potatoes,  green  clover,  brewers' 
slops,  and  the  like. 

Symptoms. — In  this  form  of  colic  the  expression  of  pain 
though  not  so  acute  is  much  more  constant  than  in  the  pre- 
vious form.  The  abdomen  is  somewhat  swollen  and  resonant 
on  percussion.  The  pulse  becomes  rapid  and  feeble,  the 
breathing  difficult,  the  feet  and  ears  cold,  and  the  animal 
grows  weak,  staggering  and  delirious.  There  is  often  a  dull, 
sleepy  look  about  him,  and  when  he  moves  it  is  evidently 
with  care  to  avoid  painful  movements  of  the  intestines.  He 
lies  down  if  at  all,  cautiously. 

Treatment, — The  object  of  treatment  is  to  clear  out  the 
bowels  thoroughly,  yet  by  gentle  means.  A  violent  purge 
would  probably  lead  to  fatal  inflammation.  The  most 
prompt  mode  to  accomplish  this  is  to  oil  the  hand  well  and 
inserting  it  up  the  rectum,  clean  out  the  gut  as  far  as  the 
arm  can  reach.  Then  throw  up  a  full  injection  of  soap  suds 
and  oil  of  turpentine.     Next,  or  previously,  it  may  be,  a  dose 


Flatulent  Colic.  135 

should  be  given  by  the  mouth,  intended  to  prevent  the  for- 
mation of  the  gas.  Prof.  Williams  prefers  to  anything  else, 
this  drench : — 


No.  103.          Solution  of  ammonia, 

h  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine, 

1  oz. 

Linseed  oil. 

\  pint. 

For  a  drench. 

No  food  or  water,  or  but  very  small  quantities,  should  be 
given  until  there  is  relief  by  these  measures. 

The  French  veterinarians  take  a  trocar  and  canula  and 
plunge  it  in  the  intestines,  then  withdraw  the  trocar  and 
leave  the  canula  in  until  the  gas  escapes.  The  relief  afforded 
is  instantaneous,  and  in  but  very  few  instances  is  a  second 
operation  necessary.  This  treatment  has  been  recently  prac- 
ticed in  this  country  with  eminent  success. 

For  flatulent  colic,  Prof.  Gamgee  advocates  assafoetida, 

as: — 

2  to  6  drachms. 
1  pint. 


2  to  4  oz. 
^  to  1  oz, 


Where,  in  conditions  of  disease  and  exhaustion,  the  colic 
is  from  tympany  or  swollen  belly.  Prof.  Gamgee  has  found 
chlorate  of  potash  useful : — 

No.  106.         Chlorate  of  potash.  ^  oz. 

Sulphuric  ether,  J  oz. 

Water,  \  pint. 
To  be  given  in  gruel. 

Or  in  a  later  stage,  when  it  is  desirable  to  act  moderately 
on  the  bowels  and  correct  the  discharges,  he  gives : — 


No. 

104. 

Assafoetida, 
Linseed  oil. 

Mix  and 

give  as  a  drench. 

Or, 

No. 

105. 

Tincture  of  assafoetida, 
Tiandanum, 

Mix  with 

a  pint  of  gruel  or 

ale. 

No.  107.         Chlorinated  soda, 

h  oz. 

Powdered  aloes, 

2  to  4  drachms. 

Warm  water, 

1  pint. 

Mix  for  a  drench. 

136  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

CONSTIPATION— COSTIVENESS. 

Definition. — Absence  or  diminution  of  the  natural  dis- 
charge from  the  bowels,  usually  accompanied  with  dry  and 
hard  feces,  straining  and  difficulty  in  their  expulsion. 

Causes, — 111  feeding,  debility  of  the  bowels,  w^ant  of  ex- 
ercise, indigestion,  and  various  other  diseases,  especially  in- 
flammation of  the  bowels.  Paralysis  of  [the  bowels  is  an 
occasional  cause,  and  one  very  dangerous  to  life.  Its  pres- 
ence may  be  recognized  by  the  absence  of  the  intestinal 
murmurs  always  to  be  heard  in  health  by  listening  to  the 
abdomen. 

S3^ptoms. — The  hard,  dry  and  scanty  character  of  the 
evacuations  is  the  principal  sign.  Colicky  pains,  hide  bound, 
passage  of  wind  and  other  symptoms  of  indigestion  are  often 
present.  The  animal  does  not  thrive,  and  is  lacking  in 
spirit. 

Treatment. — This  is  not  always  to  be  by  strong  purges. 
These  often  make  the  matter  worse.  The  diet  should  be 
rendered  more  laxative,  as  mashes  of  bran  and  linseed  meal, 
oat  meal,  etc.,  a  change  of  water  given,  and  mild  aperient 
medicines  with  special  stimulants  to  the  bowels. 

An  excellent  laxative  mixture  for  horses  and  cattle,  is : — 

No.  108.         Flour  of  sulphur, 

Cream  of  tartar,  of  each  2  or  8  oz. 

Molasses,  i  pint. 

Mix  this  in  the  drinking  water,  or  if  distasteful,  with  water  as  a 
drench.     It  should  be  repeated  every  other  day. 

Strychnia  and  nux  vomica  have  a  special  power  of  action 
on  the  bowels  when  partly  paralyzed  or  excessively  torpid. 
It  is  well  to  combine  the  nux  with  an  aromatic  and  a  laxa- 
ative,  as : — 

No.  109.         Powdered  nux  vomica,  1  drachm. 

Powdered  aloes,  2  to  3  drachms. 

Ginger,  2  drachms. 
Iklix  for  a  ball  and  give  one  every  other  day. 


Constipation  and  DiarrJicea.  137 

The  oils  are  gentle  and  beneficial  laxatives,  as : — 

No.  110.  Castor  oil,  1  to  6  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  8  oz. 

Mix  and  give  in  gruel. 

Or  a  mixture  of  soap  and  aloes : — 

No.  111.  Powdered  aloes, 

Soft  soap,  each  8  oz. 

Ginger,  4  oz. 

Mix  and  make  8  balls.     Give  one  every  morning. 

For  cattle,  a  mild  laxative  and  tonic  combination,  is : — 

No.  112.         Epsom  salts,  J  lb. 

Sulphur,  4  to  6  oz. 

Ginger, 

Gentian,  each  ^  oz. 

Mix  in  a  quart  of  warm  water  for  a  drench. 

DIARRHCEA— SCOURING. 

Definition. — A  condition  characterised  by  loose,  watery, 
and  frequent  discharges  from  the  bowels  without  the  presence 
of  inflammation. 

Causes. — Indigestible  or  irritating  food ;  presence  of  worms; 
purgative  medicines;  too  much  water;  disorders  of  the  liver ; 
and  constitutional  tendency.  Flat  sided  and  narrow  loined 
horses  particularly,  are  said  to  scour  often,  without  apparent 
cause. 

S3^ptoms. — In  simple  diarrhoea  there  is  a  frequent  ex- 
pulsion of  half  fluid  discharges,  brownish  or  clay-like  in 
color,  without  offensive  smell.  The  animal  loses  flesh  if  the 
disease  continues,  the  appetite  fails,  and  there  is  a  general 
tendency  to  "  run  down.^^ 

Treatment. — As  sometimes  a  diarrhea  is  often  the  attempt 
of  nature  to  get  rid  of  injurious  matters  in  their  intestines,  it 
is  well  to  aid  her  in  the  effort.  If  such  a  case  is  seen  early, 
therefore,  a  moderate  dose  of  castor  oil,  or  linseed  oil  should 
be  given.     Later  in  the  case,  this  will  not  answer  so  well ; 


138  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

but  at  all  times  it  is  well  to  avoid  too  suddenly  checking  the 
disease. 

\yhen  the  discharges  are  sour  and  fetid,   the  following 
powder  may  be  mixed  in  the  food  two  or  three  times  a  day : 

No.  113.      Powdered  chalk, 

Bisulphite  of  soda,  of  each  1  oz. 

For  one  dose. 

When  this  does  not  bring  about  an  early  lessening  of  the 
symptoms,  the  following  is  a  favorite  with  Prof.  Williams : 

No.  114.     Oil  of  turpentine, 

Laudanum,  each  ^  oz. 

Eggs,  3. 

Beat  up  in  a  pint  of  warm  water  and  give  at  one  dose.     Kepeat  two  or 
three  times  a  day. 

The  following  is  recommended  for  this  continued  purging 
by  Mr.  Chawner : — 

No.  115.     Sulphuric  ether, 

Laudanum,  each  1  oz. 

Tannic  acid,  20  gr. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  gruel  or  flaxseed  tea,  and  give  at  one  dose. 

When  the  diarrhoea  is  owing  to  the  action  of  violent  purges, 
"  superpurgation "  as  it  is  called,  Prof.  Williams  says  he 
knows  of  nothing  better  than  the  following : — 

No.  116.      Powdered  chalk. 

Laudanum,  of  each  2  oz. 

Mix  in  a  quart  of  flour  gruel,  and  give  every  three  hours  till  the  purg-' 
ing  is  checked. 

Apply  hot  applications  to  the  abdomen,  and  do  not  let  the 
horse  drink  cold  water,  which  he  will  very  much  crave. 
Small  quantities  of  flaxseed  tea  or  gruel  will  partly  allay  his 
thirst.  If  he  grows  weak,  wine  or  whiskey  may  be  given 
him. 

As  general  prescriptions  in  diarrhoea  Mr.  Finlay  Dun  re- 
commends ; — 

No.  117.      Spirits  of  camphor,  2  drachms. 

Tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,       1  drachm. 

Ether,  1  oz. 

For  one  dose  in  diarrhoea  after  the  early  feverish  symptoms  have  abated, 


Treatment  of  Diarrhea.  139 

No.  118.      Sulphate  of  copper,  1  to  2  draclims. 

Powdered  opium,  1  drachm. 

Give  as  a  ball  or  mixed  in  linseed  tea  two  or  three  times  a  day  in  ob- 
stinate watery  diarrhoea. 

No.  119.      Acetate  of  lead, 

Powdered  opium,  each  1  drachm. 

Give  as  the  last  prescription. 

In  cases  of  sour  discharges,  griping  and  moderate  scouring, 
the  following  are  antacids  and  mild  astringents  which  will 
be  found  serviceable ; — 

No.  120.      Powdered  chalk,  1  oz. 

Powdered  opium,  1  drachm. 

Creasote,  20  drops. 

Make  up  with  linseed  meal  and  molasses  for  a  ball. 

Instead  of  the  creasote,  carbolic  acid  may  be  used  in  this 
prescription  in  the  same  quantity. 


No.  121.     Powdered  chalk, 

Catechu, 

Ginger,  each 

loz. 

Opium, 

1  drachm. 

Make  up  as  the  last. 

This  is  useful  when  a  mere  astringent  effect  is  desired,  and 
when  the  bowels  have  got  into  an  irritable  relaxed  condition. 
For  the  same  purpose,  whether  in  horses  or  cattle,  the  follow- 
ing recipes  also  answer  well : — 

No.  122.      Powdered  galls. 

Powdered  opium,  each  1  drachm. 

Chalk,  I  oz. 

Make  into  a  ball,  or  give  in  gruel  or  linseed  tea. 

No.  123.      Powdered  opium, 

Powdered  kino, 

Powdered  gentian, 

Bicarbonate  of  soda,  each  1  drachm. 

To  be  made  up  and  given  as  the  last. 

These  prescriptions  may  be  repeated  once  or  twice  daily, 
until  the  discharges  are  diminished. 

Astringent  clysters  or  injections  are  usually  made  up  with 
starch  water.     It  is  a  mistake  to  have  them  very  copious. 


140  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

From  a  pint  to  a  quart  is  abundant  in  liorses  or  cattle.  Large 
injections  are  apt  to  increase  the  action  of  the  bowels.  Use- 
ful formulas  are : — 

No.  124.      Powdered  opium,  2  draclims. 

Acetate  of  lead,  2  drachms. 

Starch  water,  1  qt. 

Throw  half  of  this  in  at  a  time,  and  the  remainder  in  half  an  hour  to 
an  hour. 

No.  125.      Tannic  acid,  2  to  4  drachms. 

Starch  water,  1  pint. 

For  one  injection. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  BOWELS,  ENTERITIS, 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  lining  membrane  of 
the  bowels,  tending  to  their  softening  and  rupture.  It  is 
often  rapid  in  its  course  and  very  fatal,  destroying  life  in  a 
few  hours. 

CauSGS. — The  principal  causes  are  over  fatigue,  cold  from 
exposure  or  from  ^vashing  in  very  cold  w^ater  while  the 
animal  is  heated.  It  is  also  believed  to  follow  severe  colic, 
excessive  purging,  irritating  substances  in  the  bowels,  and 
kicks  and  blows  on  the  abdomen. 

SymptomSt  — There  is  general  depression  wath  the  charac- 
teristic signs  of  pain  in  the  bow^els,  chill,  and  quickened 
breathing ;  small,  frequent  discharges  from  the  bowels  are  also 
noticed.  The  appetite  is  lost,  the  pulse  hard,  wary  and  quick, 
and  the  belly  is  tender  on  pressiu-e.  As  the  disease  advances, 
the  symptoms  are  very  much  those  described  under  flatulent 
colic  or  tympanites  (p.  134),  with  which  inflammation  of  the 
bowels  is  often  combined.  The  animal  suifers  severely, 
stamps  and  paws  the  ground;  his  face  and  eyes  become 
haggard;  cold  sweats  cover  his  body;  his  breathing  is 
irregular  and  his  pulse  grows  more  and  more  rapid,  small, 
weak  and  wiry.  Delirium  and  convulsions  may  precede 
death.     The   marked   symptoms   are   that   throughout  the 


Infiammation  of  the  Bowels. 


141 


whole  disease,  in  spite  of  the  early  small  discharges  of  feces, 
constipation  is  continued  and  obstinate,  and  the  belly  swollen, 
tender  and  resonant. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  distinguish  colic  from 
inflammation  of  the  bowels,  as  the  remedies  required  in  the 
two  conditions  are  directly  opposite.  We  quote  therefore 
the  following  table  from  an  English  authority : — 

Symptoms  of  CoUg.  Symptoms  of  Inflammation  of 

the  Bowels. 


Sudden  in  its  attack. 


Pulse  rarely  much  quick- 
ened in  the  early  part  of  the 
disease,  but  evidently  fuller. 

Legs  and  ears  of  the  natu- 
ral temperature. 

Kelief  obtained  from  rub- 
bing the  belly. 

Relief  obtained  from  mo- 
tion. 

Intervals  of  rest. 

Strength  scarcely  affected. 

Treatment. — To  give  strong  purges,  as  the  old  farriers 
used  to  in  this  disease,  is  to  double  the  agony  of  the  animal 
and  probably  to  kill  him.  Exactly  the  opposite  treatment 
is  to  be  pursued.  Opium  in  large  doses,  say  two  drachms, 
must  be  promptly  given  and  repeated  every  hour  or  two, 
until  the  pain  is  relieved.  Or  twenty  grains  of  morphia  may 
be  thrown  under  the  skin  by  the  hypodermic  syringe.  Hot 
fomentations  to  the  belly  are  useful,  but  not  always  con- 
venient. After  the  severe  symptoms  are  past,  if  the  bowels 
continue  bound,  injections  of  warm  water  should  be  used  to 
clear  them  out. 


Gradual  in  its  approach, 
with  previous  indications  of 
fever. 

Pulse  very  much  quick- 
ened, but  small,  and  oft.ea 
scarcely  to  be  felt. 

Legs  and  ears  cold. 

Belly  exceedingly  tender, 
and  painful  to  the  touch. 

Motion  evidently  increases 
pain. 

Constant  pain. 

Rapid  and  great  weakness. 


142  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Bleeding,  blistering  and  mustard  plasters  are  not  called 
for,  and  much  more  frequently  do  harm  than  good. 

Mr.  Finlay  Dun  uses  chloral  with  opium.  He  says  he 
has  had  the  best  results,  and  often  saved  life  in  those  cases 
of  deadly  enteritis  which  occur  in  heavy  draught  horses,  by 
giving  a  hypodermic  injection  of  chloral  hydrate,  forty  grains, 
immediately  followed  by  one  of  morphia,  three  grains,  and 
repeating  both  injections  in  about  an  hour.  The  combination 
may  be  made  for  the  mouth,  thus : — 

No.  126.  Chloral  hydrate,  1  oz. 

Morphia,  10  grains. 

Give  in  syrup  and  water,  and  repeat  every  two  hours  for  three  or  four 
times,  or  until  symptoms  abate. 

A  favorite  prescription  of  the  eminent  English  surgeon, 
Mr.  Barlow,  for  enteritis,  whether  in  horses  or  cattle,  was : — 

No.  127.  Calomel,  30  grains. 

Laudanum,  1  oz. 

;Mix  in  a  pint  of  gruel. 

This  he  repeated  every  hour  until  three  or  four  doses  were 
taken,  or  else  relief  occurred. 

A  method  of  treatment  we  can  recommend  is,  when  the 
case  is  seen  early,  to  begin  with  small  repeated  doses  of 
aconite : — 

No.  128.  Tincture  of  aconite,  20  drops. 

Laudanum,  i  oz. 

Give  in  lime  water  every  hour  or  two^  to  the  extent  of  three  or  four 
doses. 

Large  fomentations  to  the  bowels  are  of  great  use.  A 
blanket  can  be  folded  inside  a  rubber  cloth  which  is  fastened 
over  the  back.  The  blanket  then  can  be  kept  thoroughly 
soaked  with  quite  warm  water  with  little  trouble.  If  the 
symptoms  of  pain  and  exhaustion  are  relieved,  the  attendant 
need  not  trouble  himself  about  the  constipation.  The  utmost 
that  should  -be  done,  will  be  after  two  or  three  days  to  use 
injections  of  warm  water. 


^  Dysentery,  143 

"\Yhen  the  case  is  chronic,  with  pain,  tenderness  and  tym- 
pany of  the  bowels,  and  a  slight  wearing  fever,  one  of  the 
most  useful  substances  is  nitrate  of  silver : — 

Xo.  129.         Xitrate  of  silver,  5  grains. 

Opium,  ^  drachm. 

This  amount  in  a  ball  of  bread  crumbs  or  linseed  meal  twice  a  day, 
gradually  increased  to  double  the  dose  if  the  disease  does  not  yield. 

The  diet  is  always  of  importance.  Bran  or  meal  mashes 
made  with  linseed  tea  or  slippery  elm  bark  tea  are  suitable. 
Boiled  food  is  better  than  uncooked.  Large  quantities  of 
water  should  not  be  given  at  once,  but  small  quantities  often 
repeated.  In  chronic  cases,  if  the  animal  is  fed  exclusively 
on  shim  mill:  for  a  week  or  two,  it  will  sometimes  effect  a  cure 
without  other  aid. 

DYSENTEEY,  BLOOD  FLUX,  COLITIS. 

Definition. — Inflammation  of  the  lining  membrane  of  the 
large  intestine  near  the  rectum,  accompanied  with  straining, 
discharge  of  blood  and  fever. 

Causes. — Poisonous  and  irritating  food,  exposure  to  cold 
and  overwork,  putrid  and  stagnant  water,  are  quoted  as 
causes.  It  is  a  rare  disease  among  horses,  but  common 
enough  in  cattle,  among  whom  it  is  sometimes  epidemic. 
Some  kinds  of  pastures  seem  particularly  liable  to  bring  it 
on,  and  hence  it  has  been  known  as  "moor  ill,^^  "wood  evil,'' 
and  other  such  names. 

Symptoms. — The  symptoms  differ  in  the  acute  or  sudden, 
and  the  chronic  or  long  standing  forms  of  the  complaint. 

Acute  dysentery  begins  with  pain  in  the  lower  bowel 
indicated  by  the  animal  raising  or  arching  its  back,  a  watery, 
bloody  discharge  from  the  rectum,  which  has  an  offensive 
smell  and  is  expelled  with  j)ain  and  straining,  and  the  pres- 
ence of  shivering  followed  by  quick  pulse,  a  haggard  eye, 
great  duluess,  thirst,  rapid  emaciation  and   debility.     The 


144  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

urine  is  of  a  higli  color  and  scanty.     There  is  tenderness  on 
pressure  on  the  belly,  and  the  anus  looks  sore  and  red. 

In  the  chronic  form  there  is  great  emaciation,  the  skin  is 
harsh  and  in  bad  condition,  the  feces  are  dark,  tinged  with 
blood  and  pus,  discharged  with  pain  and  of  a  very  foul  odor. 
There  is  swelling  about  the  jaws,  ulcers  around  the  anus, 
sinking  in  of  the  eyes,  and  increasing  debility. 

Treatment. — For  acute  dysentery,  w^hen  seen  early,  the 
best  treatment  is  to  place  the  animal  in  a  stall,  give  it  soft, 
nourishing,  well  prepared  food  and  fresh  tepid  water  in 
moderate  quantities,  and  administer  by  the  mouth  the  follow- 


No.  130.         Castor  oil,  4  oz. 

Laudanum,  2  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  1  pint. 
For  one  dose. 

Give  several  large  injections  of  simple  warm  water  by  the 
rectum  so  as  to  wash  out  thoroughly  the  lower  bowel.  Gam- 
gee's  funnel  (p.  43),  is  an  excellent  instrument  for  this  pur- 
pose. The  tail  should  be  tied  up  and  the  quarters  kept 
clean. 

For  this  stage,  Mr.  Chawner  recommends  the  following : — 

No.  131.         Sulphuric  ether. 

Laudanum, 

Tincture  of  catechu,  each  1  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  6  oz. 

For  one  dose,  followed  by  injections  into  the  rectum  of  linseed  tea. 

But  we  should  prefer  to  begin  with  a  moderate  anodyne 
purge  given  first  (No.  73). 

The  chronic  form  is  often  very  obstinate,  as  it  may  depend 
on  a  scrofulous  or  consumptive  constitution.  Careful  dieting 
and  nursing  are  indispensable.  As  for  medicines,  cod  liver 
oil  is  the  best. 

No.  132.     Cod  liver  oil,  2  to  4  oz, 

Eggs,  4. 

Mix  in  warm  water  and  give  twice  a  day. 


Treatment  of  Dysentery.  145 

A  favorite  prescription  in  both  forms  is : — 

No.  133.     Calomel,  10  gr. 

Opium,  1  drachm. 

Gentian, 

Chalk,  each  1  oz. 

Make  either  into  a  ball  or  a  drench,  and  give  once  a  day. 

If  the  feverish  symptoms  are  not  marked,  the  following 
answers  a  good  purpose: — 

No.  134.     Powdered  opium, 

Powdered  galls. 

Sulphate  of  copper,  each  1  drachm. 

This  may  be  repeated  twice  a  day  either  for  horses  or  cattle. 

When  there  is  much  exhaustion,  and  the  powers  of  life 
seem  failing,  a  stimulant  mixture  is  demanded,  as : — 

No.  135.      Spirits  of  camphor,  7  oz. 

Sulphuric  ether,  J  oz. 

Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia,  6  oz. 
Mix  and  give  in  gruel. 

Ipecacuanha  is  used  by  many  veterinarians  in  acute 
dysentery,  as : — 

No.  136.     Powdered  ipecac,  1  drachm. 

Powdered  opium,  20  gr. 

Castor  oil,  6  to  8  oz. 

Give  in  arrow  root  water  or  boiled  starch  every  six  hours  for  three  or 
four  times  at  the  outset  of  the  attack. 

Or  the  wine  of  ipecac  may  be  used,  as : 

No.  137.     "Wine  of  ipecac. 
Laudanum, 

Solution  of  potash,  each  1  oz. 

Tincture  of  cantharides,  2^  oz. 

Mix  for  a  drench  in  a  quart  of  warm  gruel.  This  is  recommended  by 
Mr.  Gamgee  as  a  dose  for  an  ox  in  long  continued  dysentery  with 
weakness  of  the  bowels. 

In  all  cases  of  dysentery  the  straining  and  spasms  of  the 
rectum  are  exceedingly  painful,  and  should  be  relieved  by 
appropriate  clysters.  The  two  most  effectual  agents  for  this 
purpose  are  opium  and  belladonna : — 

10 


146  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

No.  138.      Laudanum,  2  oz. 

Boiled  starch,  1  pint. 

For  a  clyster;  to  be  repeated  every  two  hours  until  the  straining 
ceases. 

No.  139.      Extract  of  belladonna,  2  drachms. 

Chloroform,  J  oz. 

Fresh  milk,  1  pint. 

Eub  up  the  extract  in  the  milk,  add  the  chloroform,  and  throw  up 
the  rectum  with  a  syringe. 

CONGESTION  AND  INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  LIVER  —  HEP ATITIS — 
THE  YELLOWS  — JAUNDICE. 

In  horses  and  cattle  liver  diseases  are  not  very  common, 
and  when  they  do  occur  are  not  easily  recognized.  They  are 
usually  of  the  forms  known  as  congestion  or  torpidity  of 
the  liver,  and  inflammation  of  the  organ  and  its  covering, 
called  in  medicine  '^hepatitis"  and  "  peri-hepatitis." 

Causes. — The  general  cause  is  too  rich  food  and  too  little 
exercise.  Horses  which  are  kept  for  pleasure,  largely  fed  and 
little  worked,  while  their  stables  are  warm  and  dark,  are  apt 
to  have  their  livers  grow  torpid.  So  also  it  is  said  that  horses 
fed  on  the  refuse  of  the  malt  house,  a  rich  stimulating  food, 
are  particularly  liable  to  the  same  trouble.  It  is  more  fre- 
quently met  with  in  the  southern  than  in  the  northern 
States,  and  more  in  cities  than  in  the  country. 

Symptoms. — The  horse  is  dull,  inactive,  has  a  heavy  head, 
lustreless  eye,  and  is  dainty  and  capricious  about  his  food. 
The  dung  balls  are  small  and  dark  colored;  the  urine  is  scanty 
and  dark ;  the  pulse  is  faster  than  natural,  and  has  a  heavy 
beat.  After  a  few  days  the  whites  of  the  eyes  and  the  tongue 
turn  yellow,  there  is  tenderness  on  the  right  side  over  the 
liver  when  it  is  pressed  upon,  and  sometimes  there  is  lame- 
ness in  the  off  shoulder. 

More  frequently  the  yellows  do  not  show  very  decided 
symptoms.     The  eyes  are  of  a  dirty  yellow  color,  the  appe- 


Liver  Diseases.  147 

tite  irregular,  the  animal  spiritless,  and  in  a  generally  un- 
thrifty condition.  The  bowels  are  constipated,  and  there  is 
some  slight  feverishness,  the  thermometer  in  the  rectum  show- 
ing about  101°  degrees;  the  pulse  is  rather  faster  than  na- 
tural. 

Treatment. — The  first  step  is  to  change  the  habits  of  the 
animal,  by  giving  him  diiFerent  and  laxative  food  of  a  plain 
character,  plenty  of  cool,  fresh  air,  and  as  he  improves  mod- 
erate and  abundant  exercise.     Internally  he  may  take : — 

No.  140.      Iodide  of  potassium,  2  oz. 

Liquor  potassae,  1  pint. 

Two  tablespoonfuls  night  and  morning  in  a  pint  of  water.  (Chawner.) 

Or  the  following,  recommended  by  Prof.  Gamgee ; — 

No.  141.      Oil  of  turpentine,  ^  oz. 

Muriatic  acid  (diluted),  1  drachm. 

Powdered  ginger,  2  drachms. 

^Mix  in  a  decoction  of  oak  bark,  and  give  every  two  days. 

Mercurials  have  long  had  a  reputation  in  torpidity  and 
congestion  of  the  liver,  and  if  used  with  moderation,  and  not 
continued  long  enough  to  salivate,  there  is  no  doubt  of  their 
usefulness.     Proper  formulas  are  : — 

No.  142.      Calomel,  30  gr. 

Aloes,  powdered,  1  drachm. 

Soap,  2  drachms. 

Rhubarb,  powdered,  4  drachms. 

Mix  with  syrup  to  make  a  ball,  and  give  one  twice  a  day  until  it 
purges  moderately 

No.  143.      Calomel,  1  drachm. 

Aloes,  2  drachms. 

Mix  with  soap  to  a  ball,  and  give  one  night  and  morning  until  it  acts 
on  the  bowels. 

Many  prefer  to  give  saline  purges.  These  are  much  to  be 
preferred  in  the  ox  and  cow,  but  as  before  stated,  they  act 
in  an  imcertain  manner  on  the  horse,  sometimes  purging  vio- 
lently, sometimes  having  no  effect.  For  horses  the  following 
is  the  best  manner  of  giving  salines  for  the  yellows : — 


1 48  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

No.  144.      Sulphate  of  magnesia  (Epsom  salt), 
Sulphate  of  soda  (Glauber  salt), 
Common  salt,  each  1  lb. 

Essence  of  ginger,  1  oz.  « 

Mix  these  in  a  gallon  of  warm  water  and  give  about  a  pint  once,  twice 
or  three  times  a  day,  until  gentle  and  eflfectual  purgation  is  estab- 
lished. 

For  cattle,  the  following  similar  mixture  is  recommended 

by  Mr.  Dun  :— 

No.  145.      Sulphate  of  magnesia, 

Common  salt,  each  J  lb. 

Powdered  ginger,  2  oz. 

Mix  in  two  quarts  of  water,  and  repeat  daily  until  free  evacuation  is 
obtained. 

Often  for  a  torpid  liver,  dullness  and  general  "  bilious- 
ness ^'  nothing  succeeds  so  well  as  to  beghi  with  a  brisk  purge 
of  aloes  or  salts,  and  follow  it  up  by  giving  daily  for  a  week 
the  following : — 

No.  146.      Peruvian  bark,  1  oz. 

Powdered  nux  vomica,  1  drachm. 

Mix  into  a  ball  with  meal  and  molasses  and  give  every  morning. 

INTESTINAL   WORMS. 

In  the  horse  two  kinds  of  intestinal  worms  are  found  (be- 
sides the  bot  worm,  which  is  a  temporary  resident  only  and 
will  be  described  elsewhere).  They  both  belong  to  the  genus 
ascarisy  and  are  known  as  the  round  worm,  which  dwells  in 
the  intestines  proper,  and  the  thread  worm  Avhich  lives  almost 
exclusively  in  the  rectum.  The  former  is  not  unlike  the  com- 
mon earthworm  in  size ;  the  latter  is  much  smaller,  and  re- 
sembles in  size  and  color  a  piece  of  white  thread  an  inch  or 
so  long. 

Symptoms. — These  are  not  very  distinctly  pronounced. 
The  coat  is  rough,  the  appetite  irregular  or  craving,  there  is 
often  itching  about  the  anus,  evinced  by  the  desire  to  rub  the 
hind  quarters  against  walls,  and  there  may  be  some  emacia- 
tion. 


Worm  Medicines,  149 

When  worms  are  suspected,  it  is  advisable  to  give  a  purge 
and  watch  the  feces.  Should  any  parasites  of  either  kind  be 
found,  it  is  appropriate  to  commence  specific  treatment. 

Treatment. — As  a  vermifuge  for  the  horse,  Mr.  Dun  re- 
commends : — 

No.  147.      Calomel, 

Oil  of  male  fern, 

Aloes,  each  1  drachm. 

Ginger,  4  drachms. 

Make  into  a  ball  with  linseed  meal  and  molasses. 

Or, 

No.  148.      Oil  of  turpentine,  2  oz. 

Oil  of  male  fern  1  drachm. 

Linseed  oil,  ^  pint. 

Give  after  a  purge  and  on  an  empty  stomach.     Follow  it  with  a  few 
daily  doses  of  sulphate  of  copper. 

Mr.  Walsh  believes  that  the  most  eifectual  of  all  vermi- 
fuges in  the  horse  is  tartar  emetic.  He  prescribes  it  as  fol- 
lows :^ 

No.  149.      Tartar  emetic,  1  drachm. 

Powdered  ginger,  J  drachm. 

Make  into  a  ball  with  linseed  meal.     Give  one  every  morning  for  a 
week  on  an  empty  stomach,  and  then  follow  with  a  purge  of  aloes. 

After  this  he  allows  the  horse  to  rest  a  week  and  then  re- 
peats the  above,  following  the  physic  with  a  drachm  of  pow- 
dered sulphate  of  iron  daily  in  the  feed. 

For  thread  worms  the  treatment  should  be  by  injections  up 
the  rectum.  Of  these  we  can  select  one  of  the  following,  all 
of  them  being  destructive  to  the  worms : — 


No.  150.     Oil  of  turpentine, 

Linseed  oil, 
Use  every  morning  for  a  week. 

2  drachms. 
1  pint. 

No.  151.      Common  salt. 
Carbolic  acid, 
Water, 

Use  every  other  day  for  a  week. 

i  QZ. 

I  drachm. 

1  pint. 

A  strong  decoction  of  tansy,  of  wormwood  or  of  almost  any 


150  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

vegetable  bitter  will  also  dislodge  the  worms.     Tobacco  tea 
is  efficient,  but  dangerous. 

Whatever  injection  is  used  it  should  be  aided  by  a  purga- 
tive dose,  the  best  of  which  is  : — 

No.  152.      Sulphate  of  iron,  1  oz. 

Aloes.  4  dr. 

Mix  for  a  ball. 

And  also  by  cleanliness  and  smearing  the  anus  with  mer- 
curial ointment,  to  kill  the  eggs  of  the  worms. 

THE  BOTS. 

Definition. — A  diseased  condition  of  the  horse  or  ox  pro- 
duced by  the  irritation  of  the  bot-fly  or  gad-fly,  Oestrus^ 
through  its  attacks  on  the  skin  and  the  presence  of  its  larvsD 
in  the  intestines. 

Causes. — The  common  gad-fly  of  the  horse  attacks  him 
late  in  the  summer,  not  for  the  purpose  of  living  on  his 
blood,  but  in  order  to  deposit  its  eggs  on  his  hair,  and  especi- 
ally the  hair  of  those  parts  of  the  body  which  the  horse  can 
reach  with  his  mouth.     When  he  licks  his  coat,  the  moisture 
and  warmth  of  the  saliva  aid  in  hatching  the  eggs,  and  the 
small  maggots  within  them  are  transferred  to  the  mouth  and 
next  to  the  stomach  and  bowels  of  the  horse,  where  they 
firmly  fasten  themselves  by  strong  hooks  with  which  their 
heads  are  provided.     After  attaining  a  certain   period  of 
growth  they  loosen  their  hold,  are  swept  away  with  the  feces 
and  deposited  on  the  ground,  which  they  enter  and  then 
undergo  the  necessary  transformations  to  become  the  perfect 
fly.     In  the  form  of  bot-worm  they  usually  pass  the  fall  and 
winter  in  the  horse^s  body,  about  eight  months  in  all. 

Symptoms. — ^Yery  many  symptoms  are  attributed  to  the 
bots,  and  that  occasionally,  especially  in  underfed  horses, 
they  cause  great  general  and  local  irritation,  there  is  no 


Treatment  of  the  Bots,  151 

doubt.     But  it  is  not  possible  to  point  out  any  one  single 
symptom  which  positively  proves  their  presence. 

They  lead  at  times  to  colic,  indigestion,  irritation  of  the 
anus,  and  also  to  staggers,  fits  or  convulsions,  which,  if  they 
occur  in  winter  without  other  assignable  reason,  in  a  horse 
somewhat  out  of  conditio  n,  may  fairly  be  laid  to  the  charge 
of  the  bots.  But  probably  in  most  instances,  these  parasites 
do  no  harm. 

Treatment. — The  preventive  treatment  is  by  cutting  the 
hair  close  in  those  parts  of  the  body  which  the  gad-fly 
selects,  and  keeping  it  smeared  in  the  late  summer  and  early 
autumn  with  a  tar  or  turpentine  ointment.  Internally,  give 
a  handful  of  fresh  unbleached  wood  ashes  once  or  twice  a 
week  in  the  feed. 

To  remove  the  bots  when  once  lodged  in  the  intestines, 
the  following  should  be  given  on  an  empty  stomach  every 
morning,  for  three  or  four  days : — 

No.  153.         Powdered  aloes, 

Powdered  assafoetida,  of  each  J  oz. 

Mix  in  hot  water,  and  when  cold  add 

Oil  of  turpentine, 

Sulphuric  ether,  of  each  1  oz. 

Give  in  gruel  and  linseed  tea  as  a  drench. 

This  same  is  also  a  useful  prescription  for  destroying  tape- 
worm and  other  worms  in  horses. 

Prof.  Gamgee's  prescription  for  bots,  is : — 

No.  154.  Powdered  assafoetida,  2  drachms. 

Powdered  savin, 

Calomel,  of  each  1^^  drachms. 

Oil  of  male  shield  fern,  30  drops. 

Give  as  a  ball,  made  up  with  molasses  and  linseed,  at  night,  and  fol- 
low with  an  aloes  purge  the  next  morning. 

Still  another  plan  is  to  give  for  three  or  four  mornings  a 
quarter  of  an  ounce  of  sulphate  of  copper,  made  into  a  ball, 
and  follow  with  a  purgative  dose  of  aloes,  repeating  this 
medication  after  a  week's  interval. 


152  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

CHAPTER   ly. 

DISEASES   OF   THE    HEART,    RLOOD-VESSELS   AND 
ABSORBENTS. 

Palpitation —  Violent  Heart  Beat — Thumps, 
Enlargement  or  Hypertrophy  of  the  Heart 
Fatty  Degeneration  of  the  Heart. 
Aneurism — Enlargement  of  the  Arteries. 
Inflammation  of  the  Jugular  Vein — Phlebitis, 
Inflammation  of  the  Absorbent  Vessels — Lymphangitis — Weed 
— Shot  of  Grease. 

PALPITATION— VIOLENT  HE  AST  BEAT— TEUMPS. 

Definition. — A  sudden,  violent,  convulsive  beating  of  the 
heart,  which  may  or  may  not  be  connected  with  some  disease 
of  the  valves  or  substance  of  the  organ. 

Causes. — In  the  horse,  this  is  most  frequently  seen  in 
pampered,  highly  fed  animals,  or  in  those  which  have  very 
irregular  and  violent  exercise.  Many  horses  when  frightened 
or  excited  suffer  from  excessive  heart  beat,  which  to  some 
extent  lessens  their  capacity  for  work.  If  the  palpitations 
are  frequent  and  persistent,  they  indicate  some  serious  dis- 
ease of  the  heart.  Indigestion  and  many  blood  diseases  are 
accompanied  by  palpitations. 

Symptoms. — The  chief  symptom  is  the  increased  violence 
of  the  heart's  action.  It  can  be  readily  felt,  seen  and  heard. 
The  pulse  is  irregular  or  intermittent.  When  owing  to  ner- 
vousness and  temporary  causes,  this  is  usually  visible  in  the 
excited  eye,  the  rapid  breathing,  and  in  the  quick  diminution 
of  the  palpitation.  But  where  there  are  not  such  signs  of 
temporary  excitement,  the  case  is  more  serious  as  signifying 
organic  disease  of  the  heart,  which  is  not  curable. 


Palpitation  of  the  Heart.  153 

Treatment. — Careful  avoidance  of  sudden  excitement  and 
over-exertion  are  to  be  looked  to  in  the  first  place.  Full 
doses  of  digitalis,  say  J  drachm  of  the  powdered  leaves,  may 
be  given  twice  a  day  in  the  food  for  several  weeks.  Indi- 
gestion and  constipation  must  be  prevented  by  appropriate 
treatment. 

Frequently  the  digitalis  may  be  combined  with  salines 
with  advantage,  as  : — 

No.  155.      Powdered  digitalis  leaves,  30  grains. 

Chlorate  of  potash,  i^  oz. 

Or,  nitrate  of  potash,  1  oz. 
To  be  given  once  a  day. 

When  the  palpitation  is  associated  with  increased  size  of 
the  heart,  and  a  full  and  strong  pulse,  it  is  better  to  use  acon- 
ite. 

No.  156.      Tincture  of  aconite  root,  20  drops. 

This  amount  may  be  used  in  the  above  prescription  instead  of  the  pot- 
ash, or  dropped  in  the  drinking  water  twice  a  day. 

Sometimes  it  is  well,  as  Mr.  Duii  suggests,  to  begin  with 
the  aconite  and  when  the  force  at  the  heart  is  reduced,  to 
substitute  for  it  the  digitalis. 

Another  useful  agent  is  belladonna.  It  may  often,  es- 
pecially in  cases  where  there  is  general  debility,  be  advan- 
tageously given  with  nux  vomica,  as ; — 

No.  157.      Extract  of  belladonna,  1  drachm. 

Powdered  nux  vomica,  ^  drachm. 

Mix  with  liquorice  powdered  and  molasses  into  a  ball,  and  give  once 
or  twice  a  day  for  a  considerable  time. 

ENLAEGEMENT  OR  HYPERTROPHY  OF  THE  HEART. 

Causes. — Long  continued  overwork,  constant  indigestion, 
and  diseases  of  the  valves^ of  the  arteries  lead  to  a  growth  of 
the  heart  much  beyond  its  ordinary  size,  which  should  be 
considered  an  unsoundness.  It  also  accompanies  broken 
wind  and  other  impediments  of  free  breathing. 


154  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

S3/TnptomS. — There  is  more  or  less  persistent  palpitation, 
and  the  sounds  of  the  heart  are  much  louder  than  in  health. 
Sli«-ht  exertion  increases  these  symptoms  in  a  marked  manner. 
The  breathing  is  often  hurried. 

Treatment. — This  condition  is  best  combated  by  a  moder- 
ate diet,  and  freedom  from  excitement,  overwork  and  sudden 
exertion.  Internally,  the  most  effective  remedy  is  aconite. 
This  must  be  given  in  twenty  or  thirty  drop  doses  (of  the 
tincture  of  the  root)  twice  a  day,  for  a  considerable  time. 
When  the  enlargement  is  connected  with  broken  wind  or  any 
similar  impediment  to  the  breathing.  Prof.  Williams  recom- 
mends the  prolonged  use  of  small  doses  of  arsenic,  say  three 
to  five  grains  twice  daily,  in  the  food. 

In  hard  worked  aad  aged  horses,  hypertrophy  of  the  left 
side  of  the  heart  is  quite  common.  It  can  very  generally  be 
relieved  by  commencing  the  treatment  with  a  few  doses  of 
aconite  and  then  continuing  with  digitalis,  as  recommended 
under  palpitation  (p.  153). 

FATTY  DEGENEBATION  OF  THE  HEAET. 

Definition. — A  change  of  the  muscular  substance  of  the 
heart  to  fat,  thus  w^eakening  the  strength  of  the-  organ  and 
leading  to  rupture  of  its  tissues. 

Causes. — This  is  the  most  common  change  W'hich  takes 
place  in  the  hearts  of  horses.  It  is  generally  due  to  advanc- 
ing age,  to  high  living  and  lack  of  exercise.  It  is  also  pro- 
duced by  other  diseases,  as  purpura  and  scarlet  fever. 

Symptoms. — There  is  a  gradually  increasing  debility  of 
the  circulation,  as  shown  by  the  weak  and  irregular  pulse, 
and  the  lessening  of  the  sounds  of  the  heart.  The  legs 
swell  and  become  dropsical,  and  the  horse  gives  out  sooner 
when  at  work.  The  appetite  becomes  capricious,  the  lining 
membrane  of  the  mouth  and  nose  assumes  a  rusty  red  appear- 


Heart  Diseases,  155 

aruce,  and  there  is  a  want  of  correspondence  between  the  beat 
of  the  heart  and  iha  stroke  of  the  pulse. 

Treatment. — It  is  doubtful  if  any  treatment  will  arrest 
the  disease.  Prof.  Williams  recommends  for  trial,  chlorate 
of  potash,  say  one  ounce,  twice  daily,  with  attention  to  the 
general  health. 

AITEURISM— ENLARGEMENT  OF  THE  ARTERIES. 

Definition. — A  dilatation  or  expansion  of  a  part  of  ap 
artery,  with  thinning  and  weakening  of  its  coats,  and  tend- 
ing to  burst  into  the  surrounding  tissue,  thus  forming  a  pul 
sating  tumor  containing  blood. 

Causes. — Generally  aneurisms  arise  either  from  injuries,  as 
a  blow,  a  strain,  a  kick,  a  stab,  or  else  from  some  change 
taking  place  in  the  coats  of  the  artery,  weakening  it,  as  for 
example,  fatty  degeneration.  This  is  most  common  in  old 
horses  who  show  signs  of  heart  disease.  Certain  worms  in 
the  arteries  (the  so-called  Sderostoma)  may  also  produce  them 
in  the  horse. 

S3fniptoms. — There  is  a  visible  tumor,  which  is  soft  and 
fluctuating  to  the  feel,  and  which  by  steady  pressure  can  be 
made  to  disappear  or  partly  so,  but  reappears  as  soon  ^s  the 
pressure  is  removed.  It  is  also  felt  to  have  a  regular  pulsa- 
tion, like  the  beat  of  the  heart. 

Treatment. — This  is  not  very  successful.  If  the  tumor  is 
where  it  can  be  readily  reached,  steady  pressure  upon  it  by  a 
pad  and  firm  bandage  for  several  days,  may  be  successful  in 
causing  its  disappearance.  Some  surgeons  cut  down  upon  it, 
tie  the  artery  above  and  below,  and  then  open  the  sack  and 
turn  out  its  contents. 

The  complaint  constitutes  an  unsoundness,  as  it  is  generally 
a  permanent  injury  to  an  animal. 


156  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  JUGULAR  VEIN— PHLEBITIS. 

This  generally  occurs  as  a  consequence  on  opening  the  vein 
for  bleeding,  either  because  the  surgeon  has  used  a  rusty  or 
dirty  lancet,  or  that  the  horse  has  rubbed  and  injured  the 
vein  after  the  operation. 

The  inflammation  may  be  confined  to  a  small  spot,  or  may 
extend  up  and  down  the  vein,  which  will  feel  like  a  hard 
cord  underneath  the  skin  of  the  neck,  which  will  be  hot  and 
inflamed  to  the  touch,  and  evidently  painful  to  the  animal, 
especially  on  bending  his  neck. 

Treatment. — The  best  treatment  for  this  complaint  is  the 
application  of  a  smart  cantharides  blister  along  the  course  of 
the  inflamed  part.  If  abscesses  have  formed,  they  must  be 
opened  and  washed  out  with  carbolic  acid  water  (one  ounce 
of  carbolic  acid  to  a  pint  of  water),  before  the  blister  is 
applied.  But  after  this  is  done,  the  blister  should  be  applied 
as  directed. 

Inflammation  of  this  vein  always  ends  by  transforming  it 
into  an  impervious  cord,  so  the  recommendation  is  made  that 
horses  which  have  suflbred  from  it  should  not  be  turned  out 
to  grass,  as  the  dependent  position  of  the  head  in  grazing 
and  the  insufiicient  channels  for  the  return  of  the  blood  from 
the  head,  bring  on  dropsical  swellings  of  the  face,  lips  and 
nostrils. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  ABSORBENT  VESSELS— LYMPHANGITIS- 
WEED— SHOT  OF  GEiiASE. 

DefinitiOtt. — By  these  various  names  is  known  a  disease 
which  commences  by  inflammation  of  the  lymphatics,  or  ab- 
sorbent vessels  of  the  hind  legs,  the  inflammation  extending 
to  the  cellular  tissue,  becoming  chronic,  and  producing  per- 
manent effusions  and  swelling  of  ;he  limb. 

Causes. — Weed  is  generally  attributed  to  high  feeding  and 


Treatment  of  Weed,  157 

insufficient  exercise  ;  or  to  over-feeding  on  green  food,  as  fresh 
clov^er  and  rye  grass;  or  to  intestinal  irritation  of  various 
kinds.  Large  coarse  horses  with  thick  legs  are  particularly 
subject  to  it. 

Symptoms. — The  attack  is  often  preceded  by  disorders  of 
the  stomach,  as  colic,  constipation,  loss  of  appetite  and  exces' 
sive  thirst.  Sometimes  chill  and  shivering  usher  it  in.  The 
first  local  indication  is  observed  in  one  of  the  hind  legs,  gen- 
erally the  left.  It  is  favored  and  held  from  the  ground.  On 
examining  it,  it  is  found  swollen  on  its  inner  surface,  the 
swelling  sometimes  extending  from  the  body  to  the  foot. 
There  is  heat  of  surface,  tenderness  to  the  touch,  and  some- 
times the  swollen  glands  can  be  felt  like  cords  or  lumps  un- 
derneath the  skin.  The  respirations  and  pulse  are  twice  as 
fast  as  in  health,  the  animal  shows  suffering  in  his  face,  and 
frequently  turns  his  head  to  look  at  the  aifected  limb.  His 
nostrils  are  dilated  and  perspiration  rolls  from  his  side.  The 
swelling  increases  until  abscesses  form,  which  will  break  in- 
ternally and  run  along  the  limb  unless  freely  lanced. 

Horses  that  have  once  been  attacked  by  weed  are  liable  to 
a  recurrence  of  the  malady,  time  after  time,  until  the  limb 
assumes  permanently  an  enlarged  and  distended  condition, 
injuring  both  their  appearance  and  their  usefulness. 

Treatment. — When  seen  in  the  early  stages,  when  chill 

and  shivering  are  prominent,  the  animal  should  be  warmly 

clothed,  and  a  moderate  purge  given,  as : — 

No.  158.      Powdered  aloes,  4  drachms. 

Calomel,  1  drachm. 

Mix  and  give  at  one  dose  in  a  ball. 

Should  the  chill  continue.  Prof.  "Williams  recommends  the 
following  as  a  powerful  stimulant  to  the  skin,  inducing  a 
general  warmth  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  body : 

No.  159.      Tincture  of  arnica,  1  to  2  oz. 

For  one  dose,  mixed  with  warm  water. 


158  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

In  the  second  or  hot  stage,  bleeding  is  often  performed,  but 
it  does  no  good  and  often  is  an  injury.  It  is  better  treatment 
to  foment  the  limb  well  with  cloths  wrung  out  in  hot  water, 
to  keep  the  bowels  loose,  and  give  as  a  drink  an  ounce  of 
saltpetre  in  a  gallon  of  water  two  or  three  times  a  day.  As 
soon  as  abscesses  form,  they  must  be  freely  opened  with  a 
sharp  knife  and  dressed  with  cloths  wrung  out  with  carbolic 
acid  water  (an  ounce  of  acid  to  the  pint). 

In  the  condition  called  "  thick  leg,''  which  results  from 
numerous  attacks  of  weed,  some  veterinarians  give  large  doses 
of  veratrum  viride.  But  this  only  succeeds  where  the  swel- 
ling is  largely  dropsical  and  not  in  true  weed.  This  is  best 
managed  by  repeated  rubbings  with  iodine  ointment,  by 
moderate  diuretics  and  by  alteratives,  as : — 

No.  160.      Powdered  resin, 

Nitre,  each  ^  oz. 

Oil  of  juniper,  10  drops. 

Mix  for  a  ball  and  give  once  a  day. 

Or  with  a  tonic  added  : — 

No.  161.      Sulphate  of  iron,  2  drachms. 

Cream  of  tartar, 

Flour  of  sulphur,  each  J  oz. 

This  in  a  ball  or  drench  twice  a  day. 

A  stimulating  mercurial  ointment  appropriate  in  such  cases 

is : — 

No.  162.      Eed  iodide  of  mercury,  1  drachm. 

Lard,  2  oz. 

A  piece  the  size  of  a  walnut  to  be  rubbed  into  the  swellings  every  day. 


Kidney  Diseases,  159 

CHAPTER  Y. 

DISEASES    OF   THE   KIDNEYS,  BLADDER   AND    SEX    ORGANS. 

Inflammation  of  the  Kidneys, 

Inflammation  of  the  Bladder, 

Stone  in  the  Bladder — Gravel. 

Retention  or  Suppression  of  Urine — Strangury — Difficult  or 
Painful  Staking. 

Diabetes — Profuse  Staleing. 

Black  Water  in  Horses — Hoematuria — Azoturia. 

Diseases  of  the  Sex  Organs;  Contraction  of  the  Sheath; 
External  Inflammation  of  the  Yard;  Internal  Inflamma- 
tion of  the  Yard;  Inflammation  of  the  Vagina. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  KIDNEYS. 

This  is  a  rare  disease  in  the  lower  animals,  being  much 
less  common  than  is  usually  supposed. 

Causes. — It  occasionally  occurs  from  blows  and  strains ; 
also  from  the  irritation  of  gravel  and  kidney  stones ;  and 
most  frequently  from  the  injudicious  use  of  cantharides,  tur- 
pentine and  croton  oil,  which  drugs  have  an  irritating  effect 
on  the  kidneys,  to  which  some  animals  are  very  sensitive. 
Cold  and  wet  are  also  causes. 

S3nnptoms.  —  There  is  considerable  fever  with  colicky 
pains  ;  a  hard  frequent  pulse,  rapid  breathing  and  increased 
thirst.  The  mouth  is  hot  and  the  bowels  constipated.  There 
is  generally  a  stiffness  in  the  movements,  with  tenderness  of 
the  loins.  The  animal  arches  his  back  and  walks  with  a 
straddling  gait.  AYith  this  there  is  a  scanty  secretion  or  a 
total  suppression  of  the  urine.  The  animal  makes  frequent 
efforts  to  stale,  but  succeeds  in  passing  but  a  few  drops  of 
dark  and  reddish  water. 


160  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Should  the  disease  advance  and  this  suppression  continue 
for  several  days,  the  horse  shows  signs  of  intoxication,  loses 
the  control  of  his  movements,  or  repeats  the  same  movement 
over  and  over  again ;  and  death  takes  j)lace  from  the  blood 
poisoning. 

Treatment. — If  the  animal  is  seen  early  and  is  strong 
and  full  blooded,  a  free  bleeding  at  the  outset  will  be  of 
much  service.  This  should  be  followed  up  by  an  active 
cathartic  (for  instance,  No.  158),  which  may  be  aided  and 
followed  with  advantage  by  repeated  injections  of  tepid 
water.  The  loins  should  be  wrapped  in  woollen  cloths  and 
kept  fomented  with  warm  digitalis  tea,  made  by  stirring  a 
handful  of  the  leaves  into  a  bucket  of  boiling  water.  This 
remedy  is  highly  recommended  by  Prof.  Williams,  in  cases 
with  obstinate  suppression  of  urine.  An  excellent  plan  of 
fomenting  in  such  cases  is  by  a  sheep  skin  wrung  out  of  hot 
water  or  hot  digitalis  tea  (p.  56). 

Moderate  diuretics  are  called  for,  but  violent  and  irritating 
ones  will  be  very  hurtful.     We  may  use : — 

No.  163.  Sweet  spirits  of  nitre, 

Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia,  each      3  oz. 
Give  in  a  quart  of  linseed  tea  or  mucilage  of  slippery  elm  bark. 

Or, 

No.  164.         Acetate  of  potash,  2  oz. 

Powdered  camphor,  2  drachms. 

Bub  the  camphor  with  the  yolks  of  two  eggs,  and  mix  this  and  the 

potash  with  two  quarts  cf  slippery  elm  mucilage,  and  give  in  two 

doses  three  hours  apart. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  BLADDER. 

Causes. — This  affection  almost  never  attacks  the  lower 
animals,  except  from  external  violence  or  from  the  adminis- 
tration of  irritating  medicines,  as  croton  oil  or  cantharides. 

Symptoms. — Frequent  passing  of  cloudy  urine,  the  act 
being  performed  with  evident  pain  and  difficulty;  fever  and 


Diseases  of  the  Bladder.  161 

tenderness  on  pressure  over  the  bladder ;  frequently  scouring 
with  soft,  bloody  and  fetid  feces. 

Treatment. — This  should  be  by  full  doses  of  opium  or 
morphia,  the  use  of  linseed  tea,  milk  and  whites  of  eggs 
beaten  up  with  water  as  drinks.     Belladonna  is  also  useful : — 

No.  IGo.  Extract  of  belladonna,  1  drachm. 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  1  oz. 

Give  in  a  drench  with  a  quart  of  cold  linseed  tea. 

The  following  is  an  old  and  standard  remedy : — 

No.  166.         Solution  of  potash,  1  oz. 

Extract  of  hyocyamus,  1  drachm. 

Give  as  above,  and  repeat  two  or  three  times  a  day. 

STONE  IN  THE  BLADDER— GRAVEL. 

Stone  in  the  bladder  and  gravel  are  found  in  stallions, 
geldings  and  mares,  as  well  as  in  the  ox  and  cow.  In  these 
animals  the  hard  concretions  usually  consist  of  carbonate  of 
lime. 

Causes. — Horses  which  from  the  nature  of  their  work  are 
compelled  to  hold  their  urine  many  hours  at  a  time,  as  for 
instance  hunters,  are  most  liable  to  stone.  The  food  and  the 
water  also  have  much  to  do  with  it.  Some  clovers,  for  ex- 
ample, form  a  large  quantity  of  urine  salts,  and  tend  to  the 
deposit  of  gravel;  while  hard  water,  which  contains  carbon- 
ate of  lime  in  solution,  predisposes  to  its  accretion  in  the 
bladder. 

Symptoms. — An  early  sign  is  some  stiffness  of  motion 
in  the  hind  limbs;  unusual  switching  of  the  tail;  a  frequent 
desire  to  stale  exhibited  by  the  animal  stretching  himself 
out  and  drawing  his  yard,  but  passing  little  or  no  water. 
At  other  times  the  water  flows  with  apparent  ease  for  awhile, 
but  suddenly  stops,  and  the  further  attempts  of  the  animal 
to  empty  his  bladder  are  in  vain.     He  will  continue  stretched 

11 


162  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

out  for  some  time;  and  may  groan,  kick  at  his  belly,  and 
even  lie  down  on  accout  of  the  pain. 

When  these  symptoms  are  observed,  the  attendant  should 
"feel  for  the  stone.'^  This  is  to  be  done  as  follows:  The 
rectum  should  be  emptied  by  an  injection  of  warm  water, 
immediately  after  the  horse  has  emptied  his  bladder.  The 
hand  of  the  operator  is  then  to  be  well  oiled  and  introduced 
into  the  rectum,  and  the  bladder  detected  and  examined. 
This  can  readily  be  done  without  the  risk  of  any  injury  to 
the  animal,  and  with  the  almost  positive  certainty  of  discov- 
ering the  stone  if  it  is  there. 

Treatment. — In  the  mare,  even  a  large  stone  can  be  re- 
moved by  dilating  the  urethra,  the  orifice  of  which  is  about 
four  inches  inside  the  vagina,  and  then  introducing  a  forceps. 

In  the  gelding  or  stallion,  the  surgeon  has  to  extract  it  by 
the  operation  of  "  cutting  for  stone."  It  is  not  necessary  to 
describe  the  steps  of  these  manoeuvres,  as  they  require  special 
instruments  and  a  knowledge  of  anatomy,  which  only  belong 
to  a  professional  man. 

The  preventive  measures  are  suggested  by  what  has  been 
said  above  about  the  causes  of  the  complaint. 

RETEWTIOIf  OR  STJPPRESSION  OF  TTRINE— STRANGURY— DIFFICULT 
OR  PAINFUL  STALEING. 

When  it  is  observed  that  a  horse  stales  with  difficulty  or 
pain,  the  cause  of  this  condition  should  be  carefully  inquired 
into,  as  it  may  be  of  a  serious  nature,  requiring  prompt  at- 
tention to  save  the  animaFs  life. 

It  may  arise  from 

1.  Palsy  of  the  bladder,  following  an  injury,  meningitis, 
lockjaw,  staggers,  severe  colic  or  other  acute  disease. 

2.  Disease  of  the  parts,  as  spasm  or  inflammation  of  the 
neck  of  the  bladder,  stricture  of  the  urethra,  enlargement  of 


Difficult  Staking,  163 

the  prostate  gland  in  old  male  horses,  cancer,  stone  in  the 
bladder,  accumulation  of  dirt  in  the  sheath  and  excessive 
constipation. 

3.  Irritating  drugs,  especially  cantharides  and  turpentine, 
used  carelessly,  or  sometimes  when  cautiously  used  in  horses 
of  a  peculiar  sensitiveness  to  their  influence.  This  form  is 
called  "  strangury,"  and  is  characterized  by  the  frequent 
efforts  to  stale,  but  the  passage  of  only  a  few  drops  at  a  time. 

Treatment. — When  it  appears  that  the  suppression  is  ow- 
ing to  palsy,  the  urine  must  be  drawn  off  with  a  catheter 
several  times  a  day,  and  the  treatment  recommended  under 
paralysis  promptly  resorted  to,  especially  the  injection  of 
strychnine  under  the  skin. 

If  it  is  due  to  inflammation  of  the  neck  of  the  bladder,  as 
indicated  by  the  heat,  swelling  and  tenderness  of  the  part, 
and  the  general  feverish  symptoms,  general  bleeding  may  be 
resorted  to,  and  injections  of  warm  water  containing  one 
drachm  of  extract  of  belladonna  to  the  quart  must  be  thrown 
repeatedly  up  the  rectum,  or,  in  mares,  up  the  vagina.  Full 
doses  of  opium  may  be  given  to  relieve  pain. 

Spasm  of  the  neck  of  the  bladder  may  be  overcome  by  the 
use  of  the  same  injection. 

Accumulation  of  hardened  feces  in  the  rectum  requires  fre- 
quent and  full  injections  of  soap  and  water,  supplemented,  if 
necessary,  by  back-raking  the  animal.  Cancer,  stone  and 
enlargement  of  the  prostate  are  practically  incurable,  and  a 
horse  so  affected  might  as  well  be  killed. 

If  due  to  general  weakness  of  the  bladder,  the  following 
stimulant  may  be  given : — > 

No.  167.     Powdered  cantharides,  20  grains. 

Powdered  digitalis,  1  drachm. 

Mix  with  soap  into  a  ball. 

Of  a  more  soothing  and  gentle  action  is  this  one : — . 
No.  168.     Powdered  camphor,  2  drachms. 

Saltpetre,  ^  oz. 

Mix  into  a  ball. 


164  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

In  strangury  from  cantharides  or  turpentine,  the  loins  are 
to  be  fomented  with  the  sheep  skin  wrung  out  in  hot  water, 
the  vagina  or  rectum  filled  with  an  injection  of  starch  and 
laudanum  or  belladonna  (Nos.  138,  139),  and  internally  the 
following  drench  prescribed  : — 

Ko.  169.      Powdered  camphor,  1  drachm. 

Powdered  opium,  2  drachms. 

Mix  in  a  quart  of  linseed  tea  or  slippery  elm  water,  and  repeat  every 
hour  until  relieved. 


DIABETES— PROFUSE  STALEING. 

Definition. — A  disease  characterized  by  great  thirst,  and 
excessive  discharge  of  urine,  progressing  toward  loss  of  flesh, 
weakness,  and  exhaustion,  sometimes  leading  to  farcy,  glan- 
ders, and  a  general  break  down  of  the  system. 

Causes. — By  some  writers  it  is  attributed  to  faulty  feeding 
of  various  kinds,  or  to  the  use  of  drugs  which  over-stimu- 
late and  irritate  the  kidneys.  It  is  believed  that  hay  which 
has  been  heated  in  curing  or  is  musty,  damp  and  mouldy 
oats,  and  half  spoiled  bran  are  liable  to  bring  it  on.  Habit- 
ual feeding  on  boiled  food  is  a  common  cause,  and  sometimes 
it  appears  to  arise  from  some  contagious  poison,  as  when 
glanders  is  prevalent,  horses  are  particularly  liable  to  it. 

Symptoms. — The  main  ones  are  the  inordinate  thirst  and 
the  corresponding  unusual  staking.  The  appetite  generally 
fails,  the  skin  becomes  harsh  and  dry,  and  the  animal  loses 
flesh  and  strength.  The  pulse  is  weak,  sometimes  slower 
sometimes  faster  than  natural.  The  horse  shows  a  depraved 
appetite,  licking  the  walls  and  floor  of  his  stall.  The  urine 
discharged  is  as  clear  as  water,  and  with  little  or  no  odor. 
It  often  amounts  in  quantity  to  20  to  40  pints  daily. 

Treatment.— The  first  attention  will  be  to  the  diet,  which 
should  be  completely  changed.     Then  a  mild  laxative  may 


Profuse  Staleing,  165 

be  given,  say  a  pint  of  linseed  oil,  and  a  tablespoonful  or  two 
of  powdered  chalk  or  baking  soda  be  mixed  with  the  pail  of 
drink.  For  the  cure  we  rely  on  iodine^  which  was  first  dis- 
covered by  the  English  veterinarian,  Professor  Dick,  to  be 
almost  a  specific  in  this  disease.     A  convenient  formula  is : 

No.  170.      It^dine,  20  grains. 

Iodide  of  potassium,  1  drachm. 

Carbonate  of  soda,  4  drachms. 

This  dose  to  be  given  three  times  a  day  in  water. 

Or,  as  recommended  by  Mr.  Chawner,  we  may  give  : — 

No.  171.       Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic,  1  oz. 

This  amount  in  a  pint  of  water  morning  and  evening. 

The  formula  preferred  by  Mr.  Finlay  Dun  is  : — 

No.  172.       Iodine,  |  drachm. 

Sulphate  of  iron,  2  drachms. 

Powdered  gentian,  |  oz. 

Make  into  a  ball  with  molasses,  syrup  or  meal  and  water. 

This  dose  is  to  be  given  once,  or  in  bad  cases,  twice  daily; 
rarely  are  more  than  six  doses  required  to  effect  a  perfect 
cure. 

Other  receipts  of  service  in  various  instances  are : — 

No.  173.      Iodide  of  potash,  6  drachms. 

Alum,  powdered,  J  oz. 

Mix  into  twelve  balls,  and  give  one  morning  and  evening. 

No.  174.       Creasote,  |  drachm. 

Vinegar,  3  oz. 

Give  daily  in  a  pint  of  water. 

BLACK  WATER  OF  HORSES-H^IMATUIIIA— AZOTURIA. 

Definition, — A  disease  of  the  general  system,  characterized 
by  a  large  excess  of  urea  in  the  blood,  by  urine  of  a  dark 
coiFee  color,  and  by  spasms  of  the  muscles  of  the  hind  quar- 
ters. 

This  is  not  a  common  disease,  and  its  exact  nature  is  as  yet 
open  to  question.     It  attacks  both  horses  and  mares,  but  es- 


166  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

pecially  the  latter  during  the  period  of  heat.  The  color  of 
the  urine  was  supposed  by  Prof.  Gamgee  to  be  owing  to 
blood;  but  Prof.  Williams  found  no  blood  corpuscles  what- 
ever in  the  urine,  but  nitrate  of  urea  and  hippuric  acid  in 
excess.  Mr.  Haycock  called  it  the  ^^lysteria  of  mares,"  but 
it  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  female  sex. 

Causes. — Its  exciting  causes  are  the  period  of  heat ;  sud- 
den exertion  after  a  long  rest  in  the  stable ;  congestion  and 
torpidity  of  the  lungs  and  liver. 

Symptoms. — The  attack  begins  suddenly.  The  horse  is 
unusually  restless,  sweats  profusely,  and  inclines  to  lie  down. 
Shortly  a  loss  of  power  in  the  hind  limbs  is  observed,  their 
larger  muscles  are  seized  with  violent  spasms,  sometimes  in- 
volving the  shoulders.  The  pulse  and  respiration  are  very 
rapid.  There  is  soon  entire  paralysis  or  great  stiffening  of 
the  hind  quarters.  With  these  symptoms,  large  quantities 
of  a  dark  urine,  looking  like  coffee,  are  ejected.  The  breath- 
ing grows  difficult,  symptoms  of  general  spasms  resembling 
tetanus  supervene,  and  the  horse  dies. 

Sometimes  it  attacks  several  horses  in  the  same  stable,  but 
there  is  nothing  whatever  contagious  in  it.  The  duration  of 
the  disease  is  brief,  three  or  four  days  either  destroying  the 
animal  or  the  symptoms  passing  off. 

Treatment. — The  animal  should  be  placed  in  a  large  sta- 
ble with  abundant  bedding ;  if  he  lies  down  paralyzed,  he  is 
to  be  turned  over  several  times  a  day. 

The  first  step  is  to  obtain  a  free  action  of  the  bowels.  For 
this  purpose  the  following,  which  also  acts  on  the  kidneys,  is 
appropriate : — 

No.  175.       Powdered  aloes,  4  to  6  drachms. 

Cream  of  tartar,  1  to  2  oz. 

Mix  in  a  pint  or  two  of  warm  water. 

This  should  be  repeated  if  it  does  not  act  in  five  to  six 
hours.     Meanwhile  an  active  clyster  is  to  be  thrown  up  the 


Diseases  of  the  Sex  Organs.  167 

rectum,  as  h  quart  of  soap  and  water  with  four  ounces  of 
oil  of  turpentine.  Cold  water  should  be  allowed  in  any 
quantity. 

No  stimulants  and  no  sedatives  are  to  be  administered,  no 
blisters,  firing  or  bleeding. 

When  the  violence  of  the  disease  is  overcome,  it  requires 
some  persuasion  to  get  the  horse  on  his  legs.  He  will  con- 
tinue to  lie  when  it  is  quite  possible  for  him  to  stand,  and 
this  must  be  prevented  by  lifting  him  on  his  feet,  briskly 
rubbing  the  legs,  and  if  need  be,  supporting  him  by  the 
slings.  Now  is  the  time  when  a  nerve  and  general  tonic  is 
required,  and  we  would  select  this  one : — 

No.  17G.      Sulphate  of  iron,  2  drachms. 

Powdered  nux  vomica,  1  drachm. 

Give  as  a  ball  three  times  day. 

Complete  rest,  a  rather  low  and  plain  diet,  and  abundance 
of  air  in  a  yard  or  field  are  required  for  several  weeks,  as  re- 
lapses occasionally  occur  from  too  early  use. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  SEX  ORGAITS. 

The  sex  organs  in  the  *horse  are  subject  to  contagious  as 
well  as  occasional  diseases.  It  has  been  definitely  shown 
that  a  disease  identical  with  syphilis  is  propagated  by  copu- 
lation. Many  instances  are  recorded  on  the  continent  of 
Europe,  but  we  have  heard  of  none  in  this  country ;  so  we 
shall  not  enter  into  its  description,  but  confine  ourselves  to 
the  disorders  of  common  occurrence. 

1.  Contractions  of  the  Sheath, 

These  are  generally  contractions,  either  in  front  of  the 
yard,  thus  impeding  the  escape  of  the  urine,  or  behind  its 
extremity,  so  that  the  yard  cannot  be  withdrawn  into  the 
sheath  (phimosis  and  para-phimosis). 


168  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

In  both  these  cases  the  free  use  of  cold  water  on  the  sheath 
will  diminish  any  inflammation  present ;  and  then  by  wip- 
ing dry  and  oiling  the  parts  well,  careful  manipulation  will 
overcome  the  difficulty.  When  this  fails,  an  incision  may 
be  made  to  relieve  the  constriction.  The  bleeding  thus  caused 
will  be  a  benefit. 

When  the  paraphimosis  is  the  result  of  paralysis,  as  is 
sometimes  seen  in  old  geldings,  the  case  is  incurable,  and  the 
only  resort  is  amputation  of  the  organ. 

2.  External  Inflammation  of  the  Yard. 

Inflammation  of  the  end  of  the  yard  is  very  common, 
being  brought  on  by  the  presence  of  irritating  substances,  as 
the  natural  secretions  when  decomposed,  or  some  foreign 
body. 

At  first  there  is  a  slight  discharge  of  whitish  or  yellowish 
matter,  which  is  followed  by  ulcers  on  the  yard  and  sheath, 
usually  emitting  a  decidedly  unpleasant  peculiar  odor.  They 
may  fill  up  with  proud  flesh  and  cause  great-  pain  and  un- 
sightly swelling. 

Proper  attention  will  always  prevent  this  trouble.  And 
when  it  is  present,  we  must  give  it  careful  attention,  for  it  is 
no  easy  matter  to  bring  about  cure  when  in  a  neglected  state. 

The  parts  must  first  of  all  be  well  cleansed,  by  syringing 
with  warm  water  and  soap,  or  by  a  weak  carbolic  acid  solu- 
tion (one  drachm  to  a  quart  of  warm  water).  The  following 
solution  should  then  be  -svrapped  on  the  parts,  or  syringed 
into  the  sheath : — 

No.  177.  Chlorate  of  zinc,  2  drachms. 

Water,  1  pint. 

This  is  a  powerful  caustic  solution,  and  its  application  will 
be  severely  painful.  But  milder  ones  will  not  prove  effectual. 
It  must  be  repeated  every  day  until  the  granulations  are 
reduced  and  the  part  has  taken  on  healthy  action. 


Diseases  of  the  Sex  Organs.  169 

3  Internal  Inflammation  of  the  Yard, 

This  occurs  in  the  gelding  as  well  as  in  tlie  stallion  :  in  the 
latter,  generally  from  too  frequent  service ;  in  the  former,  from 
the  use  of  cantharides,  croton  oil  or  turpentine,  or  from  the 
presence  of  foreign  bodies  in  the  urethra. 

The  symptoms  are,  a  frequent  desire  to  urinate,  the  act 
performed  with  difficulty ;  frequent  extension  of  the  organ ; 
and  a  discharge  of  a  whitish  or  yellowish  matter  from  the 
urethra. 

The  treatment  is  to  foment  the  parts  with  hot  water  (the 
hot  sheep  skin),  to  administer  a  moderately  brisk  purge,  and 
to  give  the  animal  freely  of  bi-carbonate  of  soda,  an  ounce  in 
water  several  times  a  day.  These  means  failing,  an  ulcer  in 
the  urethra  may  be  suspected.  The  horse  must  then  be  cast, 
the  parts  inside  the  urethra  examined,  and  any  ulcerated 
surfaces  touched  with  nitrate  of  silver,  and  injections  of  weak 
sulphate  of  zinc  solutions,  one-half  to  one  drachm  to  the  pint 
of  water,  to  be  made. 

4.  Inflammation  of  the  Vagina, 

This  is  a  rare  disease  in  the  mare.  When  it  occurs,  it  is 
usually  due  to  violence  of  the  stallion  when  serving;  to  diffi- 
cult labor;  to  the  presence  of  cancers  and  ulcers;  or  to  local 
violence,  as  by  inserting  a  stick  or  cob  into  the  vagina,  an 
insensate  piece  of  mischief  not  so  rare  as  it  ought  to  be. 

The  inflammation  shows  itself  by  a  swelling  and  tender- 
ness of  the  parts,  and  by  a  discharge  of  a  watery  or  purulent 
matter. 

In  the  treatment  the  principal  precaution  to  observe  is  not 
to  irritate  further  the  parts  by  strong  injections.  Linseed  tea 
or  slippery  elm  bark  mucilage,  made  warm,  and  containing 
a  drachm  of  sugar  of  lead  to  the  pint,  are  the  best  injections 
which  can  be  used  in  most  cases.  If  the  discharge  is  foul 
sulphate  of  zinc  may  be  used  instead  of  the  lead. 


170  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

CHAPTER  yi. 

DISEASES   OF  THE   BLOOD,  OR   GENERAL   DISEASES. 

Glanders. 

Farcy — Bud  Farcy — Button  Farcy. 

Charbon  in  the  Horse — Purpura  Hemorrhagica — Spotted 

Fever. 
Rheumatism. 

Strangles — Colt  Distemper, 
Frysipelas — St.  Anthony's  Fire, 
Dropsy — Ascites. 

GLAin)ERS. 

Definition. — A  contagious  and  fatal  disease,  due  to  a  poison 
taken  into  or  generated  in  the  system,  which  shows  its  pre- 
sence by  a  discharge  from  the  nostrils,  and  a  degeneration 
more  or  less  rapid  of  the  lymphatic  glands  and  ducts.  The 
poison  can  be  conveyed  to  man,  in  whom  it  T>roduces  fatal 
illness. 

Causes. — The  causes  of  this  common  and  formidable  dis- 
ease, apart  from  contagion,  are  usually  said  to  include  every- 
thing that  exhausts  and  reduces  the  vital  powers,  such  as  bad 
feeding,  over- work,  neglect,  foul  air  and  filthy  stables.  It  is 
also  liable  to  be  generated  by  putting  horses  into  new  stables 
whose  walls  are  not  dry ;  and  it  is  a  frequent  sequel  of  dia- 
betes, influenza,  the  epizootic  disease,  and  other  exhausting 
complaints. 

As  caused  by  contagion,  it  is  very  justly  the  most  dreaded 
of  all  diseases  of  horses,  as  it  is  easily  inoculated  into  the 
human  species,  and  is  just  as  incurable  as  in  the  horse.  In 
the  latter,  however,  inoculation  is  not  necessary,  as  the  poison 
is  disseminated  by  more  subtle  means.     Sometimes  stables 


Glanders,  171 

whicli  have  liveried  glandered  horses  have  been  thoroughly 
cleansed,  aired  and  whitewashed;  yet  a  new  and  healthy  set 
of  horses  being  placed  in  the  stalls,  one  or  more  of  them 
would  be  down  with  the  glanders  in  a  few  weeks. 

Symptoms. — Glanders  occurs  in  two  forms,  the  acute  and 
the  chronic. 

Acute  glanders  appears  suddenly  by  prolonged  chills  and 
shiverings.  As  they  pass  off  a  high  fever  sets  in,  the  tem- 
perature running  up  to  106  or  107  degrees.  The  pulse  is 
feeble  and  rapid,  the  breathing  quick,  and  the  appetite  fails. 
The  eyes  are  weak  and  watery,  and  the  glands  under  thejaw 
are  swollen.  On  examining  the  nostrils,  their  lining  mem- 
brane is  found  to  be  swollen  and  of  a  dark  coppery  or  red 
color,  with  patches  of  ragged  ulceration  here  and  there,  from 
which  drips  a  bloody  and  watery  discharge.  The  swollen 
glands  of  the  face  and  neck  soon  break  and  form  abscesses 
with  a  similar  sanious  pus  coming  from  them.  The  animal 
rapidly  weakens,  the  breathing  becomes  obstructed,  the  lungs 
become  inflamed,  and  death  ends  the  scene. 

Chronic  glanders  presents  this  same  history  in  a  much 
slower  and  apparently  milder,  but  in  reality  none  the  less  fatal 
form.  The  general  health  may  seem  to  be  scarcely  affected. 
There  will  be  a  discharge,  often  from  one  nostril,  usually  the 
near  one,  of  a  thin,  sticky  fluid,  which  has  not  a  very  un- 
pleasant odor,  sometimes  no  odor  at  all,  and  which  dries  and 
accumulates  around  the  nasal  opening.  On  feeling  beneath 
thejaw,  the  swollen  glands  will  be  felt  like  a  hard  knot, 
which  may,  however,  disappear  for  a  time  to  return  again. 
The  membrane  of  the  nostril  will  prove  to  have  a  tawny, 
coppery  or  dull  leaden  hue.  The  eye  of  the  affected  side  will 
be  weak  and  watery. 

Usually  the  symptoms  are  more  decided  than  this.  The 
horse  is  off  his  feed,  his  coat  is  unhealthy,  he  has  a  slight 
cough,  and  sweats  on  slight  exertion.     There  is  a  discharge 


172  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

of  a  starchy  or  gluey  matter  from  one  or  both  nostrils,  often 
tinged  with  blood.  The  lining  membrane  of  the  nose  is 
studded  with  small  deep  ulcers,  and  between  the  ulcers  cov- 
ered with  unhealthy  looking  pimples.  The  eye  of  the  affected 
side  is  weak  and  watery.  A  distinct  tumor  can  be  felt  below 
the  jaw,  sometimes  forming  an  abscess  discharging  an  un- 
healthy pus.  If  well  taken  care  of,  a  horse  may  live  in  this 
condition  for  a  year  or  two  and  do  moderate  work  ;  but  he 
is  liable  at  any  time  to  be  carried  off  by  an  acute  attack  of 
the  disease,  and  he  is  constantly  an  object  of  great  danger,  not 
only  to  other  individuals  of  his  own  species,  but  to  every 
person  who  comes  near  him. 

Between  the  time  of  receiving  the  contagion  into  the  sys- 
tem and  the  appearance  of  the  disease,  there  usually  elapses 
in  the  acute  form  but  three  to  six  days  ;  while  in  the  chronic 
form  it  may  be  two  or  three  months. 

Treatment. — Some  of  the  best  authorities  recommend  that 
no  treatment  be  attempted  in  glanders.  It  is  considered 
more  desirable  for  the  animal  and  his  attendants  that  he  be 
killed  as  soon  as  the  nature  of  the  disease  is  recognized.  A 
positive  law  to  this  effect  exists  in  England,  and  it  might  be 
well  if  it  were  adopted  by  all  the  States  in  this  country. 

A  vast  number  of  remedies  and  receipts  have  been  sug- 
gested and  various  cm-es  have  been  reported.  They  should 
be  accepted  with  hesitation,  as  it  is  quite  likely  that  a  nasal 
gleet  of  some  kind  was  mistaken  for  glanders.  We  shall  give 
several  prescriptions  w^hich  have  had  the  most  said  in  their 
favor,  but  our  general  advice  is,  as  already  given,  to  kill 
every  glandered  horse  as  soon  as  he  is  determined  to  be  so. 

Sulphate  of  copper  and  arsenic  have  had  the  most  said  in 
their  favor.     They  may  be  given  alone  or  combined,  as :— 


No.  178.      Sulphate  of  copper, 
Peruvian  bark. 

1  drachm, 
loz. 

Mix  for  a  ball. 

Glanders  and  Farcy.  173 

No.  179.      Sulphate  of  copper,  1  drachm. 

Arsenic,  8  grains. 

Mix  with  linseed  meal  and  syrup  to  a  ball. 

No.  180.      Sulphate  of  copper,  1  drachm. 

Corrosive  sublimate,  8  grains. 

Mix  as  above  for  a  dose. 

No.  181.     Syrup  of  the  iodide  of  iron,         ^^  oz. 
To  be  given  twice  a  day. 

This  latter  is  certainly  effectual  in  curing  many  obstinate 
nasal  gleets  which  have  been  called  glauders. 

\Yhatever  medicine  is  used,  a  full  and  nutritious  diet, 
moderate  work,  and  a  clean,  well  aired  stable,  with  thorough 
disinfection  are  all  indispensable  to  success. 

FAECY— BUD  FARCY— BUTTON  FARCY. 

Definitlcn. — A  contagious  and  malignant  disease,  charac- 
terized by  swelling  and  ulceration  of  the  lymphatic  glands 
beneath  the  skin,  and  believed  to  arise  from  the  same  blood 
poison  which  causes  glanders. 

Causes. — The  most  common  cause  is  direct  inoculation  of 
glanders  or  farcy  poison ;  but  the  infection  may  also  be  pro- 
pagated through  the  air ;  and  the  disease  may  appear  spon- 
taneously after  exhausting  disease  or  in  old  age.  It  is  con- 
sidered certain  that  the  same  poison  produces  both  glanders 
and  farcy,  and  that  the  only  difference  in  the  diseases  is  in 
the  part  of  the  system  attacked. 

Symptoms. — Farcy,  like  glanders,  is  divided  into  an  acute 
and  chronic  form. 

In  acute  farcy  the  early  signs  are  shiverings,  fever,  loss  of 
appetite  and  swelling  of  the  legs.  The  w^hole  limb  becomes 
enlarged,  resembling  that  in  weed  (p.  157),  but  presenting 
an  uneven  surface,  increasing  and  decreasing  suddenly,  and 
attended  with  pain  and  lameness.  When  the  swelling  lessens, 
the  enlarged  glands  can  be  felt  under  the  skin  forming  cords 


174  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

and  small  rounded  lumps,  which  latter  are  the  so-called  '*  farcy 
buds/'  These  in  a  little  while  point  and  burst  through  the 
skin,  discharging  an  unhealthy  pus.  They  are  usually  found 
in  groups,  and  are  situated  at  some  distance  from  the  joints. 
Frequently  the  inside  of  the  thighs  will  be  found  to  present 
hard  and  painful  sw^ellings  ;  the  muscles  of  the  neck  may  be 
hard  and  painful ;  or  the  swelling  may  be  in  the  side  or  in 
one  leg ;  thus  leading  perhaps  to  the  suspicion  of  rheuma- 
tism. 

In  chronic  farcy,  the  principal  difference  is  that  the  buds 
and  hard  cords  connecting  them  are  distinctly  felt  and  are 
evidently  tender  and  painful,  but  they  rarely  pass  into  ulcer- 
ation. The  buds  or  buttons  are  arranged  in  groups  about 
the  inner  and  outer  aspects  of  the  thigh,  forearm,  flanks,  neck 
and  head.  Sometimes  they  may  be  felt  along  the  course  of 
the  jugular  vein,  presenting  swollen,  hard  and  irregular 
knots. 

Treatment. — A  horse  with  acute  farcy  should  be  forth- 
with killed.  He  is  as  dangerous  as  one  with  glanders.  The 
milder  cases  of  chronic  farcy  offer  some  chance  of  a  cure. 
The  swellings  may  often  be  dispersed  by  blistering  them,  or 
by  rubbing  them  with  ointment  of  the  biniodide  of  mercury, 
or  what  is  handier,  with  a  stick  of  lunar  caustic.  If  there 
are  running  sores,  they  must  be  frequently  washed  with  a  ten 
per  cent,  solution  of  carbolic  acid.  The  strength  must  be 
supported  by  nourishing  food  and  tonics.  Prof.  Williams 
recommends : — 

No.  182.      Arsenic,  ^  5  grains. 

Extract  of  nux  vomica,  1  drachm. 

For  a  drench  in  a  pint  of  water  twice  a  day. 


He  also  speaks  well  of : 

No.  183.      Sulphate  of  copj 
Iodine,  of  each 
This  amount  in  a  pint  of  water  twice  daily. 


No.  183.      Sulphate  of  copper, 

Iodine,  of  each  1  drachm. 


Treatment  of  Farcy,  175 

Cases  of  farcy  and  nasal  gleet,  with  enlarged  glands  and 
a  fetid  discharge,  are  sometimes  benefitted,  according  to  Mr. 
Dun,  by  the  following : — 

No.  184.      Creasote,  1  draclim. 

Sulphuric  acid  fdilute),  30  drops. 

Make  into  a  ball  with  linseed  meal,  and  give  every  morning. 

For  a  dressing  for  farcy  buds,  Mr.  Dun  recommends  the 
ointment  of  iodide  of  mercury  (No.  162). 

As  a  tonic  ball  in  this  disease,  Mr.  Gamgee  uses  this  com- 
bination : — 

No.  185.     Sulphate  of  copper, 

Sulphate  of  zinc,  each  ^  draclim. 

Aniseed,  3  drachms. 

Make  into  a  ball  with  common  mass,  and  give  once  a  day. 

As  an  ointment  for  dressing  the  buds,  we  may  use 

No.  186.      Corrosive  sublimate,  1  drachm. 

Arsenic,  J  drachm. 

Lard,  1  oz. 

This  is  a  strong  stimulant,  and  must  be  used  in  small  quantities  and 
cautiously. 

A  useful  soothing  application  is : — 

No.  187.      Bromide  of  potassium,  2  drachms. 

Lard,  1  oz. 

Mix  at  gentle  heat  and  rub  on  the  buds. 

CHARBON  IN  THE  HORSE  —  PTJEPTTRA  HEMORRHAGICA  —  SPOTTED 

FEVER 

Definition. — A  malignant  epidemic  fever,  arising  from 
blood  poisoning,  usually  attacking  old  and  debilitated  sub- 
jects, characterized  by  deposits  of  dark  red  or  purple  color, 
passing  into  ulceration. 

The  name  purj)ura  should  not  be  applied  to  this  disease, 
as  it  is  widely  different  from  that  complaint  as  it  appears  in 
the  human  subject.  Professor  Blaine  calls  it  ^'malignant 
typhus,'^  and  it  certainly  resembles  that  disease,  as  much  as 
any  other  in  man.     It  is  in  all  probability  a  form  of  true 


176  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

charbonous  or  anthracose  disease,  but  is  much  less  fatal  in 
horses  than  in  cattle,  sheep  or  swine,  and  presents  various 
other  marked  differences. 

Causes. — Purpura  is  found  in  old  and  broken  down  ani- 
mals, and  is  especially  apt  to  arise  at  the  close  of  exhausting 
diseases,  as  pneumonia,  influenza,  the  epizootic,  catarrhal 
fever,  etc.  Its  direct  cause  is  nearly  always  from  bad  venti- 
lation, imperfect  drainage,  and  neglect  of  sanitary  precautions. 
^Yhell  such  precautions  are  properly  taken,  purpura  is  scarcely 
ever  seen.  The  absorption  of  the  products  of  decomposition 
into  the  body  leads  to  a  change  in  the  blood,  rendering  it 
fluid,  and  destroying  its  vitality,  so  that  the  walls  of  the  ves- 
sels soften  and  break  down,  and  the  blood  flows  into  the  sur- 
rounding tissues,  causing  the  dark  spots  characteristic  of  the 
disease. 

S3/TnptoniS. — The  animal  is  weak,  languid  and  unwilling 
to  move.  On  examining  his  mouth,  spots  of  a  dard  red  or 
mulberry  color  are  visible  on  its  lining  membrane.  The 
tongue  has  a  peculiar  dark  claret  color.  Sometimes  there  is 
an  oozing  of  blood  from  the  nose  and  mouth,  dark  in  color 
and  fetid  in  odor.  There  is  swelling  of  the  legs,  lips  and 
other  dependent  parts,  of  a  peculiar  character ;  it  extends 
perhaps  the  whole  length  of  the  limb,  and  ends  at  its  upper 
border  very  abruptly,  as  if  a  string  had  been  tied  around  the 
part.  The  swelling  is  painful,  hot  and  hard.  Around  the 
hock  and  fetlock  joints  small  vesicles  or  blisters  about  the  size 
of  a  pea  appear,  which  burst  and  discharge  a  scalding  fluid ;  and 
around  the  bend  of  the  limbs  cracks,  and  fissures  are  formed, 
from  which  an  unhealthy  purple  colored  discharge  flows. 
Great  swelling  of  the  face,  lips,  nostrils  and  eyelids  some- 
times occurs.  The  skin  over  the  swelling  may  ulcerate,  caus- 
ing unhealthy  sores. 

The  bowels  are  either  c(5istipated  or  there  is  diarrhoea. 
Colicky  pains  are  apt  to  come  on,  and  the  feces  to  be  mixed 


Purpura  or  Spotted  Fever,  177 

with  blood.     The  urine  is  dark  colored  and  has  a  strong 
smell. 

The  more  severe  symptoms  are  remittent  in  their  charac- 
ter ;  they  may  appear  very  threatening  one  day,  seem  almost 
gone  the  next  day,  but  return  with  the  same  or  greater  vio- 
lence. Therefore  the  physician  should  be  cautious  Low  he 
pronounces  the  animal  decidedly  better. 

Treatment. — It  is  of  first  importance  to  remove  the  ani- 
mal to  a  clean,  well  drained,  well  ventilated  stable.  Purga- 
tives are  dangerous  and  bleeding  as  good  as  fatal.  What  is 
wanted  is  to  relieve  the  bowels  when  there  is  constipation  or 
irritation  by  a  free  injection  or  by  a  moderate  dose  of  oil ;  and  to 
administer  something  which  will  check  the  action  of  the  poison 
on  the  system.  The  most  successful  of  all  drugs  for  this 
purpose  is  clilorate  of  potash,  for  the  discovery  of  the  appli- 
cation of  which  in  this  disease  we  have  to  thank  Prof.  Wil- 
liams. He  gives  half  an  ounce  at  a  dose,  and  repeats  it  twice 
in  the  twenty-four  hours.  A  larger  dose  must  not  be  given, 
as  it  is  liable  to  cause  irritation  of  the  bowels.  Under  this 
medicine  the  results  are  most  satisfactory ;  the  swellings 
rapidly  diminish,  and  restoration  to  health  ensues,  in  the 
great  majority  of  cases. 

The  treatment  preferred  by  Mr.  Chawner  is  one  to  act  on 
the  kidneys  and  keep  up  the  strength.     He  prescribes : — 

No.  188.      Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia,  2  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine, 

Tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,  each         1  oz. 
This  amount,  in  a  pint  of  gruel,  three  or  four  times  a  day. 

Or  instead  of  this  : — 

Ko.  189.       Sulphate  of  iron, 

Powdered  gentian, 

Powdered  camphor, 

Nitrate  of  potash,  each  2  dr. 

For  one  ball,  to  be  given  night  and  morning. 

The  swollen  parts  may  be  bathed  with  vinegar  and  water, 

12 


178  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

and  if  the  swelling  becomes  excessive,  may  be  freely  scarified 
with  the  lancet. 

The  convalescence  in  this  disease  is  often  very  prolonged, 
and  the  owner  must  make  up  his  mind  to  do  without  the  use 
of  the  animal  many  weeks  if  he  would  see  him  recover  to  ad- 
vanta2:e.  As  a  valuable  internal  stimulant  in  this  and  simi- 
lar  low  fevers,  Mr.  Gamgee  speaks  highly  of  mustard : — 

No.  190.       Powdered  mustard  seed, 
Powdered  juniper  berries, 
Flowers  of  sulphur,  each  6  oz. 

This  to  be  added  to  a  quarter  peck  of  oat  meal;  and  three  or  four  table- 
spoonfuls  given  several  times  a  day. 

The  same  authority  has  derived  advantage  from  the  min- 
eral acids  in  conditions  of  exhaustion,  as — 

No.  191.      Muriatic  acid, 

Or  sulphuric  acid,  of  either  30  drops. 

Water,  1  oz. 

Give  three  times  a  day,  in  a  pint  of  ale. 

EHEUMATISM. 

DeHnition. — An  inflammation  of  the  joints,  tendons,  liga- 
ments or  muscles,  due  to  an  unhealthy  condition  of  the  blood, 
accompanied  by  stiffness  and  lameness.  The  inflammation 
changes  its  seat  from  one  part  of  the  body  to  another,  and 
very  rarely  passes  into  suppuration. 

Causes, — In  animals  it  may  occasionally  arise,  in  weak  and 
old  subjects,  from  exposure  to  cold  and  damp,  but  usually  fol- 
lows or  accompanies  catarrhs,  colds,  influenza  or  other  disor- 
ders. It  appears  in  some  instances  to  be  hereditary,  and  to 
arise  from  a  natural  predisposition. 

S3nnptomS. — The  two  forms  of  rheumatism  are  the  acute 
and  the  chronic. 

Acute  rheumatism,  sometimes  called  rheumatic  fever,  be- 
gins with  sudden  lameness,  with  or  without  swelling  of 
some  particular  joint.     There  are  signs  of  fever,  indicated  by 


Treatment  of  'Rheumatism.  179 

dullness,  quickened  pulse,  hot  skin,  often  perspiring  (but  not 
with  the  sour  smell  noticed  in  the  disease  in  man),  and  thirst. 
The  appetite  is  poor,  the  bowels  generally  constipated,  the 
urine  high  colored  and  scanty.  Very  often  the  lameness 
will  be  in  the  joints  on  both  sides  of  the  body.  Quite  fre- 
quently it  rapidly  changes  its  seat,  passing  from  one  joint  to 
another  and  back  again  to  its  first  seat.  It  is  confined  to  no 
particular  part,  and  may  pass  from  the  legs  to  the  neck,  caus- 
ing a  stiffness  of  the  neck,  commonly  known  as  "  the  chords,^' 
or  ^^  the  cords  ;^^  or  to  the  back,  when  it  is  called  ^^unibago;^' 
or  to  the  heart,  leading  to  inflammation  of  its  envelope,  or 
^^  pericarditis,'^  always  a  dangerous  complication.  When 
in  the  joints,  it  produces  a  considerable  swelling,  soft  and 
puffy,  tender  to  the  touch,  and  slow  to  disappear. 

Chronic  rheumatism  is  not  so  liable  to  change  its  seat.  It 
attacks  a  joint  and  brings  about  grave  changes  in  its  struc- 
ture, such  as  ulceration  of  the  cartilage  and  increase  of  bony 
deposit  around  it.  The  lameness  so  produced  is  obstinate  to 
treatment,  and  the  tendency  of  the  disease  to  return  on  the 
slightest  exposure  is  very  great.  Fever  is  generally  entirely 
absent  in  chronic  rheumatism,  and  the  general  condition  of 
the  animal  may  remain  quite  good. 

Treatment. — In  the  treatment  of  acute  rheumatism  the 
most  important  discovery  of  modern  times  is  the  use  of  sail- 
cyUc  acid.  This,  if  given  early  and  freely,  and  backed  by 
proper  nursing  and  care,  will  cut  short  nearly  every  case. 
The  following  is  a  proper  formula : — 

No.  192.      Salicylic  acid, 

Bicarbonate  of  soda,  each  1  oz. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  water  or  gruel,  and  give  as  a  drench,  three  or  four 
times  a  day. 

Tlie  body  should  be  well  wrapped,  the  stable  kept  at  a 
moderate  temperature,  and  if  necessary,  the  slings  should  be 
applied.     If  there  is  much  constipation  it  is  usually  custom- 


180  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

ary  to  give  a  purge,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  this  does  any 
good.     Bleeding  is  of  no  benefit  whatever. 

When  the  salicylic  acid  is  not  at  hand,  the  next  best  re- 
medy is  nitrate  of  potash  (saltpetre).  This  may  be  freely 
administered,  by  dissolving  two  or  three  ounces  daily  in  the 
water.  Or  it  may  be  combined  as  recommended  by  Mr. 
Chawner,  in  the  following  prescription : — r 

No.  193.       Nitrate  of  potash,  J  oz. 

Powdered  colchicum,  1  draclim. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  1  oz. 

This  to  be  mixed  with  linseed  oil  and  given  at  one  dose,  night  and 
morning. 

Blisters  to  the  inflamed  parts  are  very  useful  in  reducing 
the  swelling. 

Mr.  Finlay  Dun  has  relieved  rheumatism  in  both  horses 

and  cattle  by — 

No.  194.      Calomel, 

Quinine,  of  each  20  grains. 

Give  as  a  ball  once  a  day. 

In  the  more  chronic  forms,  the  same  writer  recommends : — 

No.  195.      Carbonate  of  potash, 

Nitrate  of  potash,  each  1  oz. 

Iodide  of  potash,  2  drachms. 

Give  in  a  pint  or  two  of  water. 

"Where  the  horse  is  stiffened  and  partially  paralyzed  by  re- 
peated attacks,  but  when  there  is  no  actual  deformity  of  the 
joints,  very  great  benefit  may  be  occasionally  obtained  by 
giving— 

No.  196.       Powdered  nux  vomica,       1  to  2  drachms. 
Gentian,  ^  oz. 

Give  night  and  morning,  beginning  with  the  smaller  dose  and  increas- 
ing. The  joints  and  muscles  to  be  well  rubbed  with  a  stimulating 
liniment. 

The  local  treatment  of  rheumatic  swellings  and  stiffening 
of  the  joints  is  by  liniments  and  embrocations,  firing  and 
setons. 


Bheumatism.  181 

Of  useful  liniments  we  give  the  following : — 

Ko.      197.  Oil  of  turpentine, 

Laudanum, 

Soap  liniment,  each  1  oz. 

Tincture  of  capsicum,  1  drachm. 

This  is  a  soothing  and  stimulating  embrocation. 

No.  198.      Solution  of  ammonia, 
Spirits  of  camphor, 
Olive  oil,  equal  parts. 

Petroleum  or  kerosene,  well  rubbed  in,  is  both  often  of 
great  service,  and  some  recommend  giving  kerosene  by  the 
mouth,  in  doses  of  two  or  three  tablespoonfuls  in  a  pint  of 
gruel. 

Odc  of  the  best  of  local  applications  in  the  form  of  an  oint- 
ment is  the  oleate  of  mercury^  made  by  heating  oleic  acid 
with  red  precipitate.  It  is  remarkably  penetrating,  and  not 
at  all  likely  to  salivate. 

STRAKGLES— COLT  DISTEIEPEE. 

Definition. — A  disease  of  the  system,  accompanied  by  fever, 
generally  attacking  young  horses,  associated  with  swelling 
of  the  glands  beneath  the  jaw,  and  sometimes  elsewhere, 
with  a  tendency  to  suppuration.  It  has  been  called  by  Mr. 
George  Armitage  ^^  specific  adenitis." 

Causes. — The  cause  of  strangles  is  not  known.  Veterin- 
arians are  not  even  agreed  as  to  whether  it  is  contagious  or 
not ;  nor  as  to  whether  a  horse  can  have  it  twice  or  not. 
The  best  authorities  incline  to  the  opinion  that  it  is  not  con- 
tagious, and  that  some  horses  are  liable  to  have  it  several 
times.  Though  generally  appearing  in  horses  from  a  few 
months  to  six  years  old,  it  is  not  confined  to  any  age.  It 
has  at  times  been  considered  an  epizootic  influenza,  but  it  dif- 
fers essentially  from  the  disease  we  described  as  such  on 
page  109. 


182  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Symptoms.— The  attacks  differ  considerably  in  severity, 
the  graver  forms  being  called  "  bastard  strangles." 

Usually  it  begins  like  a  common  cold.  The  animal  is  dull, 
has  a  slight  cough  and  sore  throat,  loss  of  appetite  and  un- 
willingness to  swallow.  There  is  some  running  from  the 
nose  and  mouth,  a  quickened  pulse  and  rapid  breathing.  On 
feeling  in  the  space  within  the  lower  jaw  bone,  a  hot  and 
tender  swelling  will  be  noticed,  sometimes  on  one  side  only, 
sometimes  filling  up  the  whole  space. 

At  other  times,  for  weeks  or  months  before  there  is  any 
positive  sign  of  disease,  the  animal  is  unthrifty,  hide  bound, 
dull,  easily  chilled,  with  a  slight  cough,  and  losing  flesh.  In 
tliis  condition  he  is  often  said  to  be  "  breeding  strangles,"  an 
opinion  verified  finally  by  the  appearance  of  the  characteris- 
tic swelling  under  the  chin. 

A  more  alarming  mode  of  onset  is  when  the  swelling  is  sud- 
den and  great,  filling  up  the  mouth  and  bringing  on  those 
symptoms  of  strangulation  from  which  the  disease  derives  its 
name.  There  is  great  difficulty  of  breathing,  accompanied 
by  a  loud  blowing  sound.  The  animal  is  in  great  distress, 
and  unless  promptly  relieved  is  liable  to  die  from  suffocation. 

Any  of  these  forms  may  terminate  in  bastard  strangles, 
which  is  when  the  disease  passes  into  a  typhoid  condition, 
Vfith  great  exhaustion,  extensive  suppuration  in  various  parts 
of  the  body,  and  exhausting  discharges. 

Treatment. — In  a  light  attack  of  strangles  it  is  enough  to 
give  the  animal  good  nursing,  apply  a  large  poultice  or  hot 
fomentations  to  the  swollen  glands,  and  put  an  ounce  of  salt- 
petre in  the  water  pail,  night  and  morning. 

If  the  tumor  points  and  bursts,  it  may  be  poulticed  and 
left  to  itself;  but  if  it  seems  slow  to  do  this,  and  does  not 
diminish,  it  is  best  to  put  on  a  fly  blister,  to  ^'  bring  it  to  a 
head"  promptly.     It  may  then  be  opened  with  a  lance. 

Where  a  horse  is  suspected  of  "  breeding  strangles,"  he 


Strangles,  183 

should  be  well  stabled  and  fed  on  extra  good  nourishment, 
as  this  variety  of  disease  is  most  apt  to  be  followed  by  dan- 
gerous internal  symptoms.  Neither  in  it  nor  in  any  other 
form  of  the  complaint  should  bleeding,  purging  or  lowering 
medicines,  like  aconite,  digitalis,  veratrum  or  lobelia,  be  used. 
If  there  is  danger  of  strangling,  from  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
swelling,  we  may  try  very  hot  fomentations  and  poultices  to 
the  throat,  making  the  animal  inhale  steam,  and  opening  the 
abscess  freely  as  soon  as  it  ^^  points.^'  But  it  will  not  do  tcr 
waste  time  with  these  measures  in  desperate  cases.  There  is 
then  one  only  step  to  take,  and  that  is  to  open  the  windpipe 
at  once,  by  the  operation  known  as  "  tracheotomy.'^  This  is 
to  be  performed  in  the  following  manner : — 

Have  an  assistant,  elevate  the  horse's  head  and  extend  his 
nose  so  as  to  put  the  skin  of  the  throat  on  the  stretch ;  then 
feel  along  the  course  of  the  windpipe  for  the  part  least  covered 
with  flesh  and  fat,  and  make  a  bold  incision  down  its  central 
line,  about  four  inches  long,  through  the  skin  and  down  to  the 
rings  of  the  windpipe.  When  this  is  done,  introduce  the 
point  of  a  sharp-pointed  knife  between  the  upj)er  exposed 
rings,  and  cutting  downward,  divide  two  or  three  of  them 
completely  across  from  above  downward  and  in  the  middle 
line  of  the  neck.  Introduce  the  tube  into  this  opening,  and 
fasten  its  strings  around  the  neck  and  to  the  mane.  It  should 
be  kept  in  until  the  animal  is  able  to  breathe  through  the  nos- 
trils, which  can  be  readily  ascertained  by  closing  the  tube 
with  the  hand  from  time  to  time, 

When  the  swelling  is  languid  and  does  not  "come  to  a 
Iiead,"  it  should  be  stimulated  by  painting  it  with  tincture  of 
iodine,  or  friction  with  iodine  ointment  (No.  8).  Should 
this  not  affect  the  swelling  promptly,  a  blister  should  be  ap- 
plied to  the  part. 

When  the  ulcers  which  remain  after  the  abscess  breaks  are 
not  disposed  to  heal,  they  must  be  touched  with  the  stick  of 


184  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

nitrate  of  silver,  with  dilute  nitric  acid,  or  dressed  witli  resin 

cerate,  or  the  following  : — 

No  199.      Iodide  of  mercury,  1  draclim. 

Lard,  1  oz. 

To  use  as  a  dressing  spread  on  soft  leather  or  linen. 

No.  200.      Creasote,  1  or  2  parts. 

Lard,  8  parts. 

Use  as  the  last. 

Tonics  are  quite  important  in  these  cases,  to   hasten  the 

healing  of  the  ulcers  and  improve  the  general  strength,  as  : — 

No.  201.      Sulphate  of  iron, 

Ginger,  each  4  oz. 

Mix  with  enough  common  mass  to  make  ten  balls,  and  give  one  twice 
a  day. 

Cod-liver  oil  internally,  in  doses  of  3  or  4  ounces,  also 
greatly  aids  in  convalescence.  Many  sluggish  cases  are  owing 
to  a  scrofulous  taint  in  the  system,  according  to  Prof.  Gam- 
gee,  and  for  such  nothing  could  be  better  than — 

No.  202.      Cod-liver  oil,  2  oz. 

Iodine,  20  grains. 

Mix  with  a  pint  of  fresh  milk  and  give  on  an  empty  stomach,  twice  a 
day. 

One  of  the  late  writers  on  this  disease,  Mr.  George  Armi- 
tage  (in  the  Highland  Sac.  Agric.  Report,  1878),  justly  says 
that  the  whole  treatment  consists  "  in  the  production  of  the 
discharge  of  the  abscess."  It  is  possible,  by  biniodide  of 
mercury  ointment,  to  disperse  it.  But  nearly  always  this  is 
followed  by  the  sudden  death  of  the  animal,  through  some 
obscure  form  of  blood  poisoning.  It  would  appear  that  there 
is  some  specific  poison  which  requires  to  find  an  exit  from 
the  body  by  the  discharge  of  the  contents  of  the  abscess  ex- 
ternally. 


Erysipelas,  185 

EEYSIPELAS— ST.  ANTHONY'S  FIEE. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  skin  and  tissues  be- 
neath, owing  to  a  blood  poison,  characterized  by  a  swelling 
and  hardness  of  the  affected  parts,  which  has  a  tendency  to 
spread  and  form  abscesses. 

Cause. — This  is  supposed  to  be,  primarily,  some  alteration 
in  the  blood.  In  horses  and  cattle  erysipelas  is  nearly  always 
the  result  of  wounds,  and  generally  of  those  in  the  legs  of 
animal^- weakened  by  hard  work  and  poor  food,  or  else  in 
young  animals  whose  blood  is  vitiated  by  the  poison  of  glan- 
ders or  some  other  animal  contamination. 

Symptoms. — Generally  on  the  third  or  fourth  day  after 
receiving  the  injury  the  skin  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  the  wound  is  found  swollen,  smooth,  shining,  hot,  tender 
and  painful.  The  swelling  gradually  extends  around  it, 
and  sometimes  deep  into  the  muscles.  The  surface  is  hard 
and  tense,  but  often  when  the  finger  is  firmly  pressed  upon 
it  and  w-ithdrawn,  a  little  pit  or  depression  is  left.  Blisters 
on  the  surface  and  abscesses  beneath  the  skin  are  frequently 
seen. 

The  general  symptoms  correspond  with  the  severity  of  the 
local  disease.  In  the  lighter  form  the  animal  is  fevered, 
loses  appetite,  and  is  lame  in  the  affected  limb.  In  severe 
cases  there  are  severe  chills,  the  pulse  is  weak  and  quick,  the 
breathing  hurried,  the  bowels  constipated,  and  the  urine 
scanty  and  high  colored.  There  is  no  appetite,  but  excessive 
thirst. 

All  the  signs  of  a  low  typhoid  state  may  follow,  the  ab- 
scesses burrowing  deeply  between  muscles  and  into  joints,  and 
the  animal  dying  of  exhaustion. 

Treatment, — In  all  cases  begin  with  a  brisk  purge,  aided 
by  injections  if  it  does  not  act  promptly.     It  is  important  to 


186  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

stimulate  tlie  bowels  decidedly.  If  there  is  much  fever,  add 
20  drops  of  tincture  of  aconite  root  to  the  water  every  few 
hours;  Prof.  Williams  justly  remarks  that  this  drug  has  a 
most  marked  effect  in  allaying  the  irritation  and  fever  in  this 
disease. 

As  soon  as  the  bowels  have  freely  acted,  prepare  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

No.  203.      Tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,     2  to  4  drachms. 

Peruvian  bark,  1  oz. 

(Or  quinine,  30  grains.) 

Mix  and  give  as  a  drench,  in  water,  every  four  hours. 

For  applications  to  the  part  we  have  a  choice  of  several. 
The  Scotch  veterinarians  prefer  belladonna,  smearing  the  parts 
freely  with  the  extract  rubbed  up  with  an  equal  quantity  of 
oil  or  lard ;  or  combined  with  aconite  as  a  lotion. 

No.  204.      Extract  of  belladonna,  1  oz. 

Tincture  of  aconite^  i  oz. 

Water,  1  qt. 

Rub  up  together  and  paint  on  the  part  frequently. 

« 

French  surgeons  prefer  the  sulphate  of  iron. 

No.  205.       Powdered  sulphate  of  iron,  1  oz. 

Lard,  4  oz. 

Mix  and  smear  well  on  the  swollen  parts  and  the  healthy  skin  near 
them. 

Or  the  swelling  may  be  painted  with  tincture  of  the  chlor- 
ide of  iron;  or  a  strong  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver,  two 
drachms  to  the  ounce  of  water. 

DEOPSY— ASCITES. 

Definition. — An  accumulation  of  watery  fluid  in  the  cavity 
of  the  abdomen,  in  the  sheath,  legs,  and  other  dependent  por- 
tions of  the  body. , 

Causes. — Generally  dropsy  is  a  result  of  disease  of  the 
heart  or  liver ;  but  sometimes  it  appears  in  animals  which 
have  been  kept  long  on  poor  and  insufficient  food,  in  low  and 


.  Dropsy.  187 

ill-drained  pastures.  In  the  ox  it  not  uofrequently  is  due  to 
a  scrofulous  state  of  the  system,  characterized  by  growths  in 
the  lining  membrane  of  the  abdomen  called  ^^  grapes/^ 

Symptoms.— These  are  plainly  apparent  in  the  "  pot  belly  '^ 
of  the  animal,  which  can  readily  be  recognized  as  due  to  the 
presence  of  fluid  by  the  dull  sound  it  yields  on  percussion, 
and  by  the  feeling  of  fluctuation  or  fluid  motion  it  imparts  to 
the  hand.  If  there  is  any  doubt,  a  small  quantity  may  be 
drawn  off  with  a  fine  trocar. 

This  condition  is  nearly  always  preceded  by  one  of  general 
poor  health,  often  with  signs  of  heart  or  liver  disease,  weak- 
ness and  languor.  As  the  fluid  increases,  the  breathing  be- 
comes more  difficult,  the  bowels  irregular,  the  pulse  feeble, 
and  the  coat  loose  and  unthrifty.  The  swelling  of  the  legs 
impedes  the  motions,  and  the  animal  dies  of  exhaustion. 

Treatment. — The  probabilities  of  success  in  this  depends 
much  on  tlie  cause  of  the  dropsy.  When  it  is  due  to  heart 
or  liver  disease  the  prospects  are  far  from  cheering,  and  some 
writers  recommend  the  animal  to  be  killed.  But  when  poor 
food  and  unhealthy  surroundings  have  led  to  the  condition, 
it  may  be  removed  by  placing  the  patient  in  a  dry,  clean  and 
well  ventilated  stable,  giving  a  generous  and  nourishing 
diet,  and  administering,  internally,  tonics  and  diuretics,  as — 

Ko.  306.      Powdered  digitalis,  1  dr. 

Sulphate  of  iron,  J  oz. 

Mix  for  one  ball,  morning  and  night. 

No  lowering  medicines  whatever  should  be  used. 

If  the  water  in  the  belly  is  extensive,  and  does  not  promptly 
diminish  by  medicine  and  proper  food,  it  should  be  drawn 
off  by  a  trochar,  which  should  be  plunged  into  the  most  de- 
pendent portion ;  this  may  be  repeated  as  often  as  the  accu- 
mulation of  fluid  demands  it. 

The  class  of  medicines  known  as  ^^  diuretics,'^  which  exert 


188  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

their  action  on  the  kidneys,  find  in  this  disease  an  appro- 
priate sphere.  The  usual  diuretic  mass  of  the  Edinburgh 
veterinary  college  is  made  thus  : — 

Ko.  207.      Soap, 

Nitrate  of  potash,  each  2  lbs. 

Eesin,  3  lbs. 

Venice  turpentine,  2  lbs. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  i  pint. 

Melt  the  soap  and  resin  over  a  slow  fire ;  when  cooling  stir  in  the 
other  articles.  The  dose  of  this  mass  is  two  ounces,  made  into  a  ball 
with  a  little  linseed  meal. 

An  efficient  diuretic  drench  may  be  made  thus  :- 

Ko.  208.      Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  2  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  1  oz. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  decoction  of  broom  corn  tops. 

The  decoction  of  broom  corn  has  by  itself  a  very  efficient 
action  on  the  kidneys,  and  will  often  rapidly  reduce  dropsi- 
cal swellings.  The  same  is  true  of  another  domestic  remedy, 
the  milk  weed  (asclepias),  which  may  be  given  in  the  same 
way. 

No.  209.      Soap,  2  oz. 

Ginger,  essence  of  2  drachms. 

Balsam  of  copaiva,  1  oz. 

Dissolve  the  soap  in  a  pint  of  old  ale  or  hard  cider,  and  add  the  other 
articles. 

The  above  is  praised  by  Mr.  White  as  an  active  diuretic 
in  dropsy  of  the  belly. 

No.  210.      Acetate  of  potash,  1  oz. 

Powdered  camphor.  1  drachm. 

Eub  the  camphor  down  with  the  yolks  of  two  eggs,  and  give  tha 
whole  in  a  pint  of  linseed  tea,  or  decoction  of  broom  tops. 


Diseases  of  the  Horse,  189 

CHAPTER  VII. 

DISEASES   OF   THE   FOOT   OF   THE   HORSE. 

Structure  of  the  Foot  of  the  Horse, 

Lameness  in  the  Horse;   How  to  Detect  Lameness;    How  to 

Ascertain  the  Cause  of  the  Lameness, 
Inflammation  of  the   Feet — Laminitis — Founder — Fever  in 

the  Feet, 
Corns, 

Thrush  or  Fvush  of  the  Frog. 
Canker, 

Punctured  Wounds  of  the  Feet — Prickings — Gathered  Nails, 
Sand  Crack, 
False  Quarter, 
Quittor — Fistula  of  the   Coronet — Fibro- Chondritis  of  the 

Foot, 
Navicular  Disease — Grogginess — Contraction  of  the  Foot, 
Scratches — Mud  Fever — Cracked  Heels — Erythema  of  the 

Heels, 
Gh^ease — Eczema  of  the  Heels, 

In  order  to  render  clear  the  subjects  treated  of  in  this 
chapter,  we  shall  be  obliged  to  begin  with  a  brief  descrip- 
tion of  the 

STRUCTURE  OF  THE  FOOT  OF  THE  HORSE. 

The  following  cut  (Fig.  21)  represents  a  section  of  the 
foot  divided  tlirough  the  middle  lengthwise,  that  is,  from 


190 


Diseases  of  the  Horse. 


toe  to  heel,  and  shows  the  bones  in  their  natural  position 
in  the  healthy  hoof. 


FIG.    21. — A   SECTION  OF  THE  HORSE's  FOOT. 


Commencing  above,  the  letter  D  indicates  the  lower  end 
of  the  long  pastern  bone;  b  is  the  coronary  bone,  which  lies 
internally  from  the  upper  or  coronary  border  of  the  wall 
of  the  hoof;  c  is  the  coffin  bone,  or  foot  bone,  os  pedis; 
d  is  the  navicular  bone,  a  small  bone  of  very  great  interest 
to  the  surgeon,  because  injury  and  inflammation  of  surface 
tissues  is  a  very  frequent  cause  of  lameness,  producing  that 
condition  called  "  grogginess/'  The  navicular  bone  bears 
no  part  of  the  weight,  but  is  apparently  inserted  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  increased  leverage  power  to  the  long 
tendon,  e,  which  passes  from  the  coffin  bone  backward, 
over  the  navicular  bone  and  up  the  leg. 

It  will  be  seen  that  from  the  upper  part  of  the  long 
pastern  bone  'to  the  end  of  the  coffin  bone  is  a  straight 
line,  inclined  at  an  angle  of  about  45°  to  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  This  obliquity  of  position  enables  the  bone  to  act 
as   a  spring,   for    the    purpose    of  modifying    concussion. 


Anatomy  of  the  Foot, 


191 


Wlien^  for  any  reason,  the  relations  of  this  natural  mechanism 
become  disturbed,  lameness  is  the  result. 


FIG.  22. — EXTERNAL  PARTS  OF  THE  HOOF. 

Turning  to  the  outer  coverings  of  the  hoof,  we  note  that 
it  is  made  up  of  two  parts :  the  one  seen  above  the  ground, 
and  the  other  that  which  is  placed  on  the  ground;  in  other 
words,  the  wall  and  the  sole. 

The  wall  is  divided  into  the  toe  (Fig.  22,  a),  which  is  the 
forward  point  of  the  hoof;  the  heely  which  is  the  hinder 
part,  where  the  notch  is  seen;  the  quarters,  which  are  the 
portions  on  each  side,  midway  between  the  toe  and  the  heel, 


FIG.   23.— THE  SOLE  OF   THE  HOOP. 


and  which  are  known  respectively  as  the  inside  and  the 
oufe/c/e -quarter;  the  upper,  or  coro^iar?/  border  (e);  the 
lower,  or  solar  border;    and  the  bars,   which  are  the  re- 


Lameness.  193 

HOW  TO  DETECT  LAMENESS. 

The  horse  is  to  be  examined:    first,  at  rest;   second,  in 
motion. 

A  lame  horse  standing  at  rest  will  generally  favor  tlie 
unsound  limb  by  lifting  it  frequently,  or  by  pointing  it, 
that  is,  by  extending  it  in  advance  of  its  fellow.  If  both 
feet  are  lame  he  will  have  a  habit  of  lifting  first  one, 
then  the  other.  In  elbow  lameness,  the  fore  arm  is  ex- 
tended, the  knee  bent,  and  the  foot  on  a  level  with,  or 
behind,  its  fellow.  In  severe  shoulder  lameness,  the  point- 
ing is  backward,  the  knee  bent,  and  the  foot  behind  its 
fellow,  sometimes  the  toe  only  touching  the  ground.  When 
the  lameness  is  in  a  hind  limb,  the  horse  stands  with  it 
"knuckling  over"  at  the  fetlock,  or  with  the  foot  altogether 
off  the  ground.  If  the  lame  leg  is  in  advance  of  the 
sound  one,  this  indicates  that  the  disease  is  in,  or  below, 
the  hock. 

When  both  the  fore  feet  are  lame,  the  hind  ones  are 
advanced  beneath  the  body,  so  as  to  receive  as  much  of  the 
weight  as  possible,  while  the  front  feet  are  lifted  alternately. 
When  both  hind  feet  are  lamed,  the  fore  feet  are  planted 
beneath  the  chest,  and  close  to  the  centre  line,  while  the 
body  is  pushed  forward,  and  the  head  hung  do^m,  so  as 
to  take  as  much  weight  as  jjossible  off  of  the  hind  feet. 

Having  noted  carefully  how  the  horse  stands  at  rest, 
the  next  procedure  is  to  examine  the  suspected  limb.  If 
there  is  unnatural  heat,  tenderness  on  pressure,  or  a  swelling 
in  any  part  of  it,  the  suspicion  of  lameness  is  at  once  verified. 
But  nothing  of  this  kind  may  be  obvious,  even  in  cases  of 
incurable  lameness,  so  the  horse  should  next  be  examined 
in  motion. 

It  is  far  from  easy  to  recognize  all  varieties  of  lameness 
in  a  horse  in  motion;  and  unscrupulous  dealers  know  many 
tricks  to  conceal  it.     Thus,  if  one  fore  foot  is  lame,  they 

13 


194  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

will  make  the  other  equally  so,  by  paring  it,  so  that  the 
action  of  the  two  limbs  correspond ;  they  will  check  up  his 
head,  with  a  tight  rein,  to  prevent  the  peculiar  ^^ nodding" 
motion,  or  dipping  of  the  head,  characteristic  of  a  horse 
lame  in  a  front  foot;  or  they  will  select  a  gait  to  show 
him  off  which  conceals  his  unsoundness.  Again,  some 
varieties  of  lameness  are  visible  in  the  gait  only  when  a 
horse  begins  to  exercise;  while  other  varieties  only  show 
themselves  after  half  an  hour's  use.  Of  this,  of  course, 
the  dishonest  dealer  will  take  advantage. 

A  proper  examination  is  as  follows  : —    • 

As  soon  as  the  animal  is  taken  from  the  stable,  let  an  as- 
sistant run  with  him  at  a  slow  trot,  holding  his  head  at  only 
a  moderate  height.  It  is  necessary  to  watch  him  trotting 
both /rom  and  toward  the  observer,  for  a  horse  lame  in  the 
off  fore  leg  when  trotted //-om  the  observer  seems  to  have  the 
fault  in  the  near  hind  leg,  as  this  quarter  is  the  one  seen  to 
ascend  and  descend — an  error  which  is  corrected  on  seeing 
him  approach.  Another  important  point  is  to  have  the  ani- 
mal turned  sharply  in  both  directions  while  on  the  trot.  The 
lameness  from  string  halt  (p.  91)  can  often  only  be  detected 
by  this  motion. 

When  both  front  or  both  hind  feet  are  lame,  there  is  no 
perceptible  limp,  but  a  peculiar  shortness  of  action.  Each 
foot  is  carefully  put  to  the  ground  and  quickly  lifted  up 
again.  A  horse  lame  in  the  fore  quarter  nods  or  dips  his 
head  at  every  step ;  one  lame  in  the  hind  quarter  drops  or 
jerks  the  croup. 

Having  examined  the  horse  in  a  slow  trot,  if  nothing  is 
discernible,  but  yet  it  is  desired  to  push  the  inspection  further.^ 
the  horse  should  be  exercised  at  a  rapid  trot  or  moderate 
gallop  for  half  an  hour,  then  placed  in  a  stall  to  cool  off,  for 
twenty  minutes,  and  then  brought  out  again.  He  will  then 
assuredly  show  in  his  gait  any  splint  or  hock  trouble  that 
he  may  have. 


Examining  for  Lameness,  195 

TO  ASCERTAIN  THE  CATTSE  OF  THE  LAMEITESS. 

Lameness  is  not  a  disease  in  itself,  but  only  the  sign  of  a 
disease  or  an  injury.  It  may  arise  from  some  local  disorder 
in  the  foot,  the  bones  of  the  legs  or  the  joints  ;  or  from  some 
general  disease,  as  rheumatism,  palsy,  affections  of  the  brain, 
and  even  of  the  liver. 

In  every  case  of  lameness  where  the  cause  is  not  perfectly 
obvious,  it  is  well  to  begin  the  search  for  it  by  removing  the 
shoe  and  closely  examining  the  foot  for  the  presence  of  some 
of  its  numerous  diseases,  which  will  be  shortly  mentioned. 
Satisfied  that  the  cause  is  not  in  the  foot,  we  should  next  pro- 
ceed up  the  limb,  carefully  scrutinizing  the  soft  parts,  the 
bones  and  the  joints,  for  any  signs  of  injuries,  tumors,  tender- 
ness, swellings,  or  inflammation.  If  here,  too,  we  are  at 
fault,  then  we  should  run  over  the  general  diseases  of  the 
animal,  mentioned  above,  which  are  accompanied  by  lame- 
ness as  one  of  their  symptoms.  An  examination  conducted 
in  this  manner  will  seldom  fail  to  result  satisfactorily. 

In  the  description  of  local  diseases  causing  lameness, 
which  follows,  we  shall  pursue  the  course  here  indicated,  be- 
ginning with  diseases  of  the  foot,  and  proceeding  up  the 
limb. 

As  the  subject  of  lameness  is  so  important  to  all  dealers  in 
horses,  we  add  the  following 

CLASSIFICATION   OF    THE    SYMPTOMS    OF     LAMENESS,    AND 
THEIR   SIGNIFICANCE. 

The  symptoms  have  reference  to  the  animal  either,  1,  at  rest, 
or  2,  in  motion.  ^''  Pointing,''  it  will  be  borne  in  mind,  may  be 
only  a  habit;  in  that  case  one  fore  and  one  hind  limb  point; 
but  when  it  is  indicative  of  lameness,  only  one  limb  points. 


196  Diseases  of  the  Ho7'se, 

Symptoms  when  at  Rest, 

Symptoms,  Significance, 

Tore  foot  pomting    the  foot  1  Lameness  of  the  leg. 
in  iront  oi  its  leilow.  j  ° 

The  fore  arm  extended,  the  ^ 

knee  bent,  the  foot  about  >  Lameness  of  the  elbow. 

on  a  line  with  its  fellow.  J 
The  limb  relaxed,  the  knee  ^ 

bent,  the  foot  behind  its  V  Lameness  of  the  shoulder. 

fellow.  J 

Hind  foot  bent  "knuckling  1  Lameness  of  hind  foot. 

over,^  or  on  the  ground,     j 

Hind  leg  in  front  of  its  fel-  \  Lameness   in   or   below    the 

low.  /      hock. 

Hind  feet  brought  well  for-"^ 

ward  under  the  belly;  head  V  Lameness  in  both  fore  feet. 

reared.  J 

Fore  feet  pushed  back  be-^ 

neaththe  chest,  head  hang-  >  Lameness  in  both  hind  feet. 

ing.  J 

Symptoms  when  in  Ifotion. 
Symptoms. 
Head  nodding  or  dipping.  < 

Croup  dipping,  or  drop- 
ping. 

Foot    lifted    quickly,    f 
straight  up.  \ 

Foot  swung  in  a  half  cir-    C 
cle,  not  much  elevated.  \ 

r 


first. 


Significance 
Lameness  in  fore  quarters. 

J        Lameness  in  hind  quarters. 

Lameness  of  foot  or  hock. 

Lameness    of    elbow    or 

shoulder. 

Side-bone,  sprain  of  back 

I    sinews,  sprain  of  suspensory- 
Foot   brought  down    toe        ,.  ,  .     ■,        -,. 

^  y  ligament,  navicular   diaease, 

shoulder   lameness,   or    hip 

^  joint  lameness. 


Lameness  and  Founder.  197 

(       Founder,  seedy  toe,  sand 

Foot  brought  down  heel  j  crack,  ring  bone,  stifle  joint 

first.  I  lameness,    inflammation    of 

I  carpus,  or  os  pedis. 

Little  or  no   lameness  at    ( 
n    ,    ■[    ,    •  1  )        Splmt,    sore    shins,    side 

nrst,  but  increased  on   mo-  i  -,  -,.  ^  , 

, .  I  bones,  disease  of  knee  joint. 

T.;r  11  .    C       Navicular  disease,  or  P-roo^- 

More  or  less  lameness  at    )      .  ,  ^     o    o 

«    ^    T    .   .,.  ,.        <  gmess,  weed,  corns,  rheuma- 

nrst,  diimmsnmg  on  motion.    >  °         ' 


tism, 


Little,  or  no  lameness  in    r  . 

a  straight  trot,  but  observ-  }   ^j^j^J^      "'  '*''''°''^  ^'"'^' 
able  on  turning  sharply.  I  °' 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  FEET— LAMINITIS—FOTINDER— FEVER  IN 
THE  FEET. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  sensitive  portions  of 
the  foot,  including,  at  times,  the  laminae,  the  sole  and  the 
foot  bone. 

Causes. — The  causes  of  founder  are  numerous,  and  it  is 
not;  surprising  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  common  sources  of 
lameness.  It  may  arise  from  over  exertion,  from  gallop- 
ing, or  trotting  on  hard  roads,  from  excessive  feeding, 
from  drinking  too  much  cold  water  when  heated,  from  a 
sudden  chill,  from  having  to  stand  a  long  time  in  rail- 
road cars,  or  on  ships,  and  from  a  transfer  of  an  inflamma- 
tion from  some  other  part  of  the  body.  Horses  with 
heavy  bodies  and  slim  legs,  and  those  which  are  very  fat, 
are  more  liable  to  it  than  others ;  and  animals  which  have 
been  taken  from  country  roads  and  put  to  w^ork  on  hard 
paved  streets,  very  frequently  suffer  from  an  attack. 

,     Symptoms. — The  inflammation  is  usually  confined  to  one 
•  or  ;^both  fore  feet.     He  stands  with  the  hind  legs  drawn  up 


198  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

under  his  belly,  and  his  fore  feet  advanced,  so  as  to  relieve 
thorn  of  as  much  weight  as  possible.  When  the  inflam- 
mation is  active,  the  signs  of  pain  are  very  manifest.  The 
animal  trembles  and  quivers,  his  eyes  glare,  his  nostrils  are 
dilated,  he  often  groans  with  pain,  and  sweats  moisten  his 
skin.  Ilis  pulse  is  full,  strong  and  rapid,  and  his  breathing 
is  quickened.  He  is  very  unwilling  to  move;  and,  if 
pushed  backward,  will  elevate  his  toes  and  throw  his 
weight  upon  his  heels,  by  a  peculiar  motion,  on  which 
some  surgeons  rely  to  diagnose  the  disease  quickly.  Some- 
times he  will  lie  down  upon  his  side  for  hours  together, 
with  his  legs  stretched  out,  evidently  relieved  by  this 
position. 

If  the  hand  is  placed  on  the  hoof  and  frog,  they  will 
be  found  hot  to  the  touch,  and  sensitive  to  firm  pressure ; 
the  pastern  arteries  beat  violently. 

When  the  hind  feet  are  inflamed,  the  fore  feet  are  pushed 
under  the  body,  to  support  the  weight;  while  the  hind 
ones  are  extended  forward,  so  as  to  throw  the  weight 
upon  the  heels;  thus  bringing  all  four  of  the  feet  close 
together,  under  the  belly.  When  compelled  to  move,  he 
takes  a  kind  of  a  jump  forward;  but  prefers  to  lie  down, 
to  escape  the  pressure  on  them  when  standing. 

Such  are  the  characters  of  acute  founder.  But  fre- 
quently it  is  much  less  severe  in  its  symptoms.  In  many 
old  and  over- worked  horses  there  is  little  heat  or  fever, 
and  the  pain  is  not  constant.  After  a  day  or  two's  work, 
slight  inflammation  is  excited,  causing  a  lameness,  which 
disappears  after  a  few  days'  rest,  to  reappear  on  the  next 
occasion.     This  is  often  mistaken  for  rheumatism. 

In  old  cases,  when  the  disease  has  been  often  repeated  or 
badly  treated,  it  leaves  behind  it  a  condition  known  as  "pu- 
miced foot,''  the  appearance  of  which  is  quite  characteristic. 
On  looking  at  the  hoof  it  is  seen  to  have  a  number  of  fur- 


Founder.  199 

rowed,  uneven  or  wavy  ridges  running  around  it,  parallel  to 
the  coronet.  They  resemble  ribs  or  irregular  rings  running 
together  toward  the  front  part  of  the  foot. 

Another  result  of  acute  founder  is  what  is  called  "seedy 
toe/'  This  name  is  applied  to  an  inferior  secretion  of  horny 
matter  at  the  lower  margin  of  the  foot  bone,  and  in  a  small 
space  about  the  toe.  The  formation  is  of  a  porous,  soft 
character,  and  liable  to  be  aggravated  by  dirt  and  gravel 
entering  its  substance.  Though  not  invariably  producing 
lameness,  it  is  at  all  times  liable  to  do  so,  and  must  be  con- 
sidered an  unsoundness. 

An  affection  that  has  been  at  times  mistaken  for  acute 
founder  is  inflammation  of  the  muscles  of  the  limbs,  espe- 
cially of  the  hind  quarter  and  loin  (myositis).  In  both  dis- 
eases there  are  stiffness,  lameness  and  loss  of  power  of  motion. 
The  differences  may  be  stated  in  a  manner  easy  for  compari- 
son as  follows : 


Founder. 

The  horse  lifts  his  feet  from 
the  ground,  first  one  then  the 
other. 

"When  the  animal  lies  down 
the  pain  and  fever  in  the  feet 
are  lessened. 

Generally  occurs  in  the 
front  feet. 


Inflammation  of  the  Muscles. 

The  horse  keeps  both  feet 
on  the  ground,  and  is  unwil- 
ling to  move  either  of  them. 

There  is  no  tendency  to  lie 
down,  and  if  cast,  the  symp- 
toms are  aggravated. 

Generally  occurs  in  the 
hind  quarters. 


Treatment. — This,  as  often  practiced,  is  far  more  hurtful 
than  beneficial.  It  should  be  an  absolute  rule  not  to  give 
large  doses  of  purgative  medicine.  Experience  has  repeat- 
edly shown  that  the  irritation  of  the  bowels  thus  produced 
often  makes  the  disease  much  worse;  indeed,  it  is  said  some 
cases  have  been  brought  on  by  an  injudicious  dose  of  the 
kind,  leading  to  inflammation  of  the  intestine  and  transfer  to 
the  feet. 


200  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

A  gentle  laxative  is,  however,  in  place.  We  may  prescribe 

No.  211.       Powdered  aloes,  2  to  4  drachms. 

Bicarbonate  of  soda,  1  oz. 

Give  as  a  drench,  in  a  pint  of  warm  water. 

Should  there  be  much  fever.  Prof.  Williams  states  that  he 
knows  no  treatment  so  effectual  as  aconite  in  repeated  doses, 
say  20  drops  of  the  tincture  of  the  root  every  2  hours,  in 
the  water,  until  the  pulse  decidedly  falls.  If  the  pain  is  very 
severe,  however,  he  would  give  first  attention  to  this,  by  ad- 
ministering one  or  two  full  doses  of  opium  or  morphia. 

For  local  treatment  to  the  foot,  the  most  judicious  is  to 
envelop  it  in  a  large  warm  poultice,  or  wrap  it  in  numerous 
woolen  cloths  and  keep  them  wet  with  hot  w^ater.  After  the 
urgent  symptoms  have  passed  off,  cold  instead  of  hot  appli- 
cations will  prove  more  useful. 

Some  writers  of  weight  have  recommended  that  the  ani- 
mal be  moderately  exercised  during  the  course  of  the  dis- 
ease; but  it  is  safe  to  say  the  majority  do  not  favor  this 
course.  Others,  especially  the  old  authorities,  urge  the  im- 
portance of  bleeding.  Certainly  in  the  large  majority  of 
cases  this  is  wholly  useless;  and  if  practiced  at  all  it  should 
only  be  in  young,  strong  and  full-blooded  animals.  Probably 
local  bleeding  from  the  coronary  arteries  just  above  the  hoof 
will  answer  every  purpose,  and  no  doubt  often  does  afford 
prompt  relief. 

Pumiced  foot  is  incurable ;  but  it  can  be  greatly  relieved 
by  fitting  to  the  foot  a  bar  shoe  with  a  broad  circle,  thicker 
at  its  outer  edge  and  beveled  off  toward  the  center. 

In  seedy  toe  the  diseased  parts  should  be  cut  away,  and 
the  growth  of  a  healthy  secretion  stimulated  by  blisters  and 
strong  liniments.  The  sole  should  be  protected  by  bar  shoes, 
properly  adjusted.     The  probability  of  a  cure  is  very  slight. 


Lameness,  201 

CORNS, 

Definition. — Small  swellings  or  tumors  on  the  sensitive 
Bole,  in  the  triangular  space  between  the  bars  and  the  wall  at 
the  heel,  found  in  the  fore  feet  only,  and  almost  always  in 
the  inside  heel. 

Causes. — The  cause  of  corns  is  almost  alw^ays  bad  shoeing, 
or  wearing  the  shoe  too  long  a  time. 

Symptoms. — Corns  do  not  always  cause  lameness,  though 
as  a  rule  they  do.  They  are  always  sensitive  to  pressure, 
and  usually  appear  as  tumors  of  a  hard,  horny  character. 

Treatment. — The  shoe  should  be  removed,  and  if  there  is 
inflammation,  the  foot  should  be  poulticed,  and  if  the  corns 
are  festered,  an  opening  made  to  give  vent  to  the  pus.  The 
seat  of  the  corn  should  be  pared,  care  being  taken  not  to  cut 
out  portions  of  the  bars  or  the  frog.  Many  "corn  salves" 
are  recommended.     Mr.   Chawner   gives  the  following: — 

No.  212.       Tar, 

Beeswax, 

Honey,  of  each,  J  lb. 

Glycerine,  3  oz. 

Lard,  J  lb. 

Nitric  acid,  2  drachms. 

Melt  the  lard  and  beeswax  together,  stir  in  the  lard  and  other  ingredi- 
ents, and  stir  till  cold. 

Another  corn  plaster  is — 

No.  213.      Subacetate  of  copper  (verdigris),      i^  to  1  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine^  2  oz. 

Yellow  wax,  J  lb. 

Melt  together  and  apply  on  a  piece  of  leather. 

THRUSH,  OR  FRTJSH  OF  THE  FROG. 

Definition. — A  diseased  condition  of  the  secretions  from 
the  frog,  commencing  at  the  cleft  and  extending  over  the 
whole  of  it,  characterized  by  the  discharge  of  a  foul  and  fetid 
material. 


202  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Causes. — Standing  in  water  and  filth,  such  as  wet  straw 
and  stable  refuse;  frost  bite;  irritating  applications,  or  ^^stop- 
pings "  to  the  feet, 

S3^ptoms. — The  apjDcarance  of  the  frog,  especiallv  of  its 
cleft,  and  the  bad  odor,  are  characteristic.  There  is  nearly 
always  tenderness  on  pressure,  and  consequent  lameness. 

Treatment. — Thrushes  are  usually  easily  cured.  The  ani- 
mal should  be  placed  in  a  clean  stable,  with  a  dry  floor,  well 
littered.  The  seat  of  disease  should  be  cleaned,  the  excessive 
growth  removed,  and  calomel  applied,  as — 

Xo.  214.      Calomel,  ^  oz. 

Sweet  oil,  2  oz. 

Mix,  spread  on  a  piece  of  lint  or  oakum,  and  insert  in  the  cleft  of  the 
frog,  and  over  any  other  diseased  parts. 

The  whole  should  be  covered  with  a  layer  of  wood  tar,  or 
a  leather  shoe  mav  be  used  for  a  while  with  advantao^e. 

Some   veterinarians   use   caustic   pastes,  as  this,  by  Mr. 

Youatt : 

Xo.  215.      Sulphate  of  copper,  2  oz. 

Sulphate  of  zinc,  1  oz. 

Mix  thoroughly  with  2  lbs.  of  lard  and  one  of  tar,  and  every  night  and 

morning  cover  it  with  a  piece  of  tow,  and  introduce  it  into  the  cleft 

of  the  frog. 

Another  is : 

Xo.  216.      Tar,  4  oz. 

Sulphuric  acid,  J  oz. 

This  to  be  applied  on  tow,  as  the  foregoing. 

Or  nitric  acid  may  take  the  place  of  the  sulphuiic  acid  in 
the  formula. 

CAICKER, 

DefinitioiL — A  diseased  condition  of  the  frog  and  sensi- 
tive sole,  resulting  in  an  unhealthy  and  fetid  secretion  of 
horny  substance. 


Canher  of  the  Foot  203 

Causes. — It  may  arise  from  an  injury,  as  a  prick,  or  the 
irritation  of  a  nail ;  but  at  other  times  the  cause  is  obscure. 

S3^ptoms. — There  is  an  abundant,  ill-smelling,  colorless 
discharge  from  the  frog,  which  is  large,  spongy  and  covered 
with  fungous  growths,  and  offensively  smelling,  cheese-like 
masses.  The  very  disagreeable  smell  is  attributed  to  the 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  in  the  secretion  of  bone  substance. 

Generally,  there  is  a  gross,  heavy  habit  of  body;  hence, 
canker  is  most  frequent  in  cart  horses,  with  thick,  round 
legs  and  large  feet. 

Treatment. — Some  veterinarians  say  that  the  treatment 
of  canker,  by  calomel  (No.  214),  is  generally  a  successful 
one.  Others  have  not  found  it  so,  and  recommend  the 
early  removal  of  the  whole  horny  sole  of  the  foot,  as  the 
only  effectual  remedy.     This  is  performed  as  follows : — 

The  animal  having  been  properly  thrown  and  secured, 
make  a  groove  at  the  immediate  junction  of  the  sole  and 
wall,  all  around  the  foot,  commencing  at  the  heel.  Then 
divide  this  circle  into  two  halves  by  a  groove,  from  the 
cleft  of  the  frog  to  the  toe.  Take  a  sharp  scalpel  and  cut 
cleanly  through  these  grooves,  into  the  sensitive  parts,  so  as 
to  completely  separate  the  sole  from  the  w^all.  Strip  off 
one-half  of  the  sole  first,  then  the  other,  removing  every 
trace  of  the  horny  covering  of  both  sole  and  frog.  Cut 
away  all  fungous  growths,  and  freshen  up  the  whole  with 
nitrate  of  silver.  Pack  with  dry  tow,  bandage,  and  put  on 
a  leather  boot.  Apply  a  tourniquet,  moderately  tight,  to 
the  fetlock.  The  dressing  should  not  be  removed  for  two 
days,  when  it  may  be  done  very  carefully,  after  a  thorough 
soaking  of  the  foot  in  warm  water. 

If  fungous  groAvths  and  the  ill-smelling  secretion  still 
continue,  the  surface  must  be  repeatedly  dressed  with  power- 


204  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

fill  caustics,  as  nitrate   of  silver,   sulphuric  acid  and   tar 

(No.  216),  and  the  like.     An  efficient  caustic  M^ash,  is: — 

No.  217.  Chloride  of  zinc,  40  grains. 

Water,  1  oz. 

This  is  known  as  De  Morgan's  solution,  from  the  eminent 
London  surgeon  of  that  name,  and  is  unsurpassed  as  a  wash 
for  fistulous  and  foul  wounds  and  ulcers,  which  cannot  well 
be  reached  with  the  solid  pencil  of  nitrate  of  silver,  or 
chloride  of  zinc.  The  solution  may  be  syringed  freely  on 
the  part. 

PTJNCTURED  WOUNDS  OF  THE  FEET— PRICKINGS,  GATHERED 
NAILS. 

Most  injuries  to  the  feet,  of  this  class,  are  caused  by  care- 
lessness in  [shoeing ;  though,  occasionally,  a  horse  treads  on 
an  upright  nail,  or  a  thorn,  and  brings  about  a  lameness  due 
to  its  entrance  into  the  sensitive  portion  of  the  hoof. 

Symptoms, — The  distinguishing  marks  of  lameness  from 
this  cause  are  its  sudden  onset,  when  the  horse  is  in  health, 
without  fever  or  other  disease,  and  the  intense  pain.  Should 
the  accident  not  receive  attention,  it  may  lead  to  festering 
vrithin  the  hoof,  disease  of  the  bones  of  the  foot,  sympathetic 
fever,  and  lockjaw. 

Treatment, — The  shoe  should  be  gently  removed,  the 
foot  washed  and  pared,  and  moderate  j^ressure  against  the 
sole  and  wall  of  the  hoof,  all  around,  until  some  tender  spot 
is  found.  This  is  then  to  be  scraped  and  pared,  so  as  to  re- 
move any  foreign  body,  and  to  give  free  outlet  to  any  pus 
which  may  have  formed;  and  the  foot  then  enveloped 
in  a  large  and  warm  poultice.  After  a  day  or  two,  if  the 
healing  is  delayed  by  proud  flesh,  or  the  continued  discharge 
of  an  unhealthy  and  ill-smelling  matter,  the  wound  should 
be  well  syringed,  several  times  daily,  with  a  solution  of  car- 


Various  Lamenesses.  205 

bollc  acid  :  one  drachm  of  the  acid  to  an  ounce  of  water ;  or, 
the  following : — 

No.  218..  Sulphate  of  zinc, 

Sulphate  of  copper,  of  each  3  drachms. 

Vinegar,  ^  pint. 

Mix,  and  use  with  a  syring"-. 

SAND  CRACK. 

Definition. — A  crack  or  fissure  in  the  wall  of  the  hoof,  be- 
ginning at  the  coronet,  and  generally  found  in  the  inner  quar- 
ters of  the  fore  and  the  toes  of  the  hind  feet. 

Causes. — There  is  usually  a  defective  quality  of  horny  sub- 
stance secreted  in  these  cases.  It  is  too  brittle,  and  on  bad 
shoeing,  or  rapid  traveling  over  hard  roads,  the  wall  of  the 
hoof  splits.  Sometimes  this  happens  suddenly,  but  generally 
the  crack  is  of  slow  growth,  beginning  at  the  coronet  and  run- 
ning downward. 

Symptoms. — The  appearance  of  the  crack  is  characteristic ; 
when  the  animal  bears  his  weight  on  the  foot  it  opens,  and 
when  he  lifts  the  foot  it  closes.  Thus  sand  and  dirt  easily 
effect  a  lodgment,  and  working  into  the  sensitive  parts,  give 
severe  pain,  and  cause  marked  lameness.  Sometimes  irrita- 
tive fever  and  local  suppuration  ensue. 

Treatment. — When  there  is  much  inflammation,  the  shoe 
shoul,d  be  removed,  the  edges  of  the  crack  pared,  the  fissure 
cleansed,  and  hot  fomentations  and  poultices  applied.  Caus- 
tic should  not  be  applied,  even  if  there  is  a  growth  of  proud 
flesh,  according  to  Prof.  Williams,  on  account  of  the  danger 
of  exciting  further  irritation. 

When  the  inflammatory  symptoms  have  abated,  a  bar  shoe 
should  be  applied  to  the  foot,  and  the  edges  of  the  crack  be 
brought  together  and  clasped,  by  an  instrument  made  for  the 
purpose,  which  can  be  had  of  any  surgical  instrument  maker. 

Two  or  three  of  these  may  be  placed  up  and  down  the 


206  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

crack*  A  small  hole  is  bored  with  a  red  hot  wire,  to  admit 
the  iusertion  of  thin  hooks  on  each  side  of  the  crack,  the 
sides  of  which  are  thus  firmly  bound  together. 

Another  and  a  simple  expedient  is  to  cut  several  notches 
on  one  side  of  the  crack,  and  drive  a  small  horseshoe  nail  in 
the  wall,  passing  across  the  crack,  and  coming  out  through  the 
wall  on  its  other  side,  where  it  can  be  firmly  clinched.  This 
also  brings  the  edges  of  the  crack  so  closely  together  that  no 
dirt  can  enter,  and  if  neatly  performed,  without  injury  to  the 
sensitive  structures  beneath,  will  give  immediate  relief,  and 
offer  a  very  fair  prosj)ect  of  a  permanent  cure. 

Instead  of  these  mechanical  appliances,  some  cases  will  re- 
cover by  filling  the  crack,  after  cleansing  it  thoroughly,  with 
the  following  composition,  and  turning  the  horse  out  to  grass 
until  a  new  hoof  is  grown. 


No.  219.      Beeswax, 

4  oz. 

Yellow  resin. 

2  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine, 

loz. 

Tallow, 

Joz. 

Melt  together. 

FALSE  QTTARTEB. 

Definition, — A  large  crack  or  gap  in  the  coronet  or  wall  of 
the  foot,  showing  a  deficiency  of  the  horn-making  secretion 
of  the  part,  or  that  the  secretion  is  unhealthy. 

Causes. — The  usual  cause  is  some  previous  disease  of  the 
coronary  band,  such  as  carbuncle,  quittor,  injury,  severe  frost- 
bite, or  the  like,  which  has  altered  its  structure  to  such  a  de- 
gree that  it  can  no  longer  perform  its  proper  function  of 
secreting  the  material  for  the  horny  layers. 

Symptoms. — Although  a  horse  with  false  quarter  is  not 
always  lame,  he  is  very  apt  to  become  so,  and  is  esteemed 
unsound  by  all  authorities.  False  quarter  differs  from  sand- 
crack,  both  in  origin  and  appearance ;  it  is  much  wider  at  the 


Quittor,  207 

base  and  contains  a  modified  condition  of  horn.  The  coron- 
ary band  shows  a  loss  of  substance  corresponding  to  that  of 
the  wall.  The  space  where  the  wall  is  imperfect  is  tender  to 
pressure,  and  requires  careful  shoeing  and  protection. 

Treatment. — If  there  is  a  wound,  its  edges  should  be 
freshened  with  the  knife  or  caustic,  and  a  firm  bandage  ap- 
plied, to  bring  them  together.  Stimulating  washes  of  carbolic 
acid  and  water  will  keep  the  surface  clean  and  hasten  heal- 
ing. In  old  cases  little  can  be  done  besides  filling  up  the 
fissure  with  gutta  percha,  and  having  the  horse  wear  a  bar 
shoe. 

QUITTOR— FISTULA     OF    THE    CORONET— FIBRO-CHONDRITIS    OF 

THE  FOOT. 

Definition. — Inflammation  and  suppuration  of  the  fibrous 
cartilage  of  the  foot,  extending  by  fistulous  canals  in  various 
directions,  with  one  or  more  openings  upon  the  quarters  and 
heels  of  the  coronet.  The  name  '^quittor''  is  derived  from 
the  verb  to  quity  in  the  sense  of  to  discharge,  the  external 
opening  of  the  fistulse  being  their  vent  or  place  of  discharge. 

Causes. — Pricks  in  shoeing,  treads,  suppurating  corns,  or 
any  other  injury  which  leads  to  inflammation  of  the  cartilage 
in  the  hoof  and  the  accumulation  of  pus  inside  the  w^alls.  , 

Symptoms. — A  quittor  differs  from  a  w^ound  or  a  recent 
abscess  of  the  coronet,  by  the  condition  of  the  parts,  which 
have  taken  on  a  peculiar  unhealthy  action;  by  the  character 
of  the  surrounding  tissue,  which  is  hard  to  the  touch ;  and 
by  the  presence  of  the  fistulse,  or  "pipes^'  as  they  are  called 
by  farriers. 

The  principal  symptoms  are  lameness,  which  is  often  ex- 
cessive ;  swelling  upon  the  coronet,  about  the  center  of  which 
one  or  more  small  orifices  are  seen,  discharging  a  thin  and 
watery  or  a  thick  and  curdled  matter.  On  examining  with  a 


208  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

probe,  tlie  pipes  are  readily  detected,  leading  generally  in  a 
downward  direction  toward  and  into  the  foot. 

Treatment. — There  is  a  variety  of  ways  of  curing  quit- 
tor,  and  if  we  fail  in  the  more  mild,  w^e  must  proceed  to  the 
more  severe,  and  not  be  deterred  by  fancied  feelings  of  ten- 
derness. 

First,  if  there  are  heat,  swelling,  and  excessive  tenderness, 
indicating  an  acute  stage  of  the  complaint,  we  must  for  the 
time  be  satisfied  with  poulticing  the  foot  and  giving  it  the 
utmost  rest  possible.  The  shoe  should  be  removed,  and  any 
puncture  or  inflamed  corn  sought  out  and  treated  as  directed 
under  those  headings. 

These  measures  failing,  the  next  step  is  to  inject  the  fis- 
tulse  or  pipes  with  caustic  and  strongly  stimulating,  injec- 
tions.    For  this  purpose  we  may  use. 

No.  220.  Carbolic  acid,  1  drachm. 

Water  1  oz. 

Or, 

No.  221.  Corrosive  sublimate,  1  drachm. 

Water  1  oz. 

Nitric  acid,  10  drops. 

Once  a  day  is  often  enough  to  use  either  of  these,  and  it  is 
useless  to  repeat  them  more  than  half  a  dozen  times. 
•  Should  they  fail,  the  next  resource  is  what  the  old  writers 
call  "coring  the  pipes,^'  that  is,  burning  them  out  with  caus- 
tics or  the  red  hot  iron.  The  former  is  effected  by  sprink- 
ling about  five  grains  of  corrosive  sublimate  on  a  small 
square  piece  of  tissue  paper,  folding  it  like  a  plug,  and  in- 
serting it  into  the  pipe,  w^here  it  is  retained  by  means  of  a 
bandage.  In  from  five  to  seven  days  a  circular  slough  will 
have  separated,  leaving  a  healthy  wound,  which  with  proper 
care  will  heal  up  from  the  bottom.  The  same  end  may  be 
attained  by  pushing  a  pointed  iron,  at  white  heat,  to  the  very 
bottom  of  the  pipes,  or  by  inserting  a  guarded  bistoury,  and 


Treatment  of  Quittor.  209 

cutting  their  sides  freely,  and  then  syringing  them  with  the 
stimulant  above  mentioned  (No.  220). 

If  the  quittor  is  near  the  front  of  the  foot  these  proced- 
ures must  be  carried  out  with  care  not  to  injure  the  joint, 
which  is  there  close  to  the  surface. 

A  horse  with  quittor  should  not  be  worked,  as  it  greatly 
retards  recovery,  or  renders  it  impossible.  It  is  also  essential 
that  during  the  cure  his  general  system  be  well  supported  by 
nourishing  diet,  healthy  surroundings  and  tonic  medicines, 
when  called  for. 

NAVICULAR  DISEASE— CONTRACTION  OF  THE  FOOT— (JROGGINESS. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  surface  of  the  navic- 
ular  bone,  extending,  occasionally,  to  its  interior  and  to  the 
tendon  which  passes  over  its  surface,  as  well  as  to  adjacent 
parts. 

Causes. — This  disease  is  said,  by  Prof.  Williams,  to  be  the 
most  fertile  cause  of  lameness,  that  we  know  of,  in  high-bred 
horses.  For  a  long  time  its  exact  nature  was  doubtful,  and 
even  yet  there  is  not  an  entire  agreement  among  veterinary 
authorities;  but  the  definition,  above  given,  expresses  the 
most  recent  views.  It  is  believed  that  a  rheumatic  constitu- 
tion predisposes  it;  and  that  a  bad  fitting  shoe,  sudden  and 
violent  exertion,  and  over-strain  of  various  kinds,  bring  it 
on.     Racing  and  hunting  horses  are  those  most  subject  to  it. 

Symptoms. — The  lameness  it  produces  may  be  sudden  in 
its  onset,  or  it  may  have  been  preceded  by  "  pointing  '^  of  the 
foot,  and  shortness  of  step.  The  chief  signs  of  the  disease, 
are:  a  short,  tripping  gait,  turning  in  of  the  heels,  wearing 
away  of  the  toe  of  the  shoe,  pointing  of  the  limb  while  stand- 
ing, and  wasting  of  the  muscles  of  the  shoulder — what  is 
called  a  sweeiiy  (though  this  may  arise  from  various  other 
diseases).     The  motion  is  stiff  and  peculiar,  and  once  care- 

14 


210  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

fullj  noted,  will  be  readily  recognized.  On  examining  the 
foot  it  is  often  found  hot,  dry,  and  perhaps  tender  at  some 
points,  especially  on  bearing  firmly  on  the  hollow  of  the 
pastern.     Tripping  and  stumbling  are  common. 

As  the  disease  progresses,  a  contraction  of  the  size  of  the 
foot  always  follows,  which  may  extend  to  the  muscles  of  the 
fore  arm  and  shoulder. 

Treatment. — If  this  is  commenced  early,  it  will  usually 
succeed;  but  if  postponed  for  several  weeks,  the  horse  is 
ruined  for  life. 

As  soon  as  the  lameness  appears,  and  is  traced  to  its  right 
source,  the  shoe  should  be  removed,  blood  taken  from 
the  arteries  above  the  coronet,  and  the  foot  placed  in  a  cold 
water  bath  for  a  few  hours  during  the  day,  and  wrapped  in 
a  poultice  at  night.  No  exercise  should  be  allowed ;  and  if 
the  pulse  is  fast,  an  ounce  of  saltpetre  should  be  given  night 
and  morning,  in  the  water.  Moderate  doses  of  aloes  (about 
four  drachms),  in  a  pint  of  water,  will  be  of  benefit. 

If,  after  a  fortnight,  the  disease  is  not  conquered,  a  blister 
should  be  placed  around  the  coronet;  and  this  not  bringing 
prompt  relief,  a  seton  should  be  put  into  the  frog,  as 
follows : 

If  the  near  foot  is  to  be  operated  upon,  the  needle  should 
be  introduced  from  the  frog  upward;  but  if  the  off  foot, 
from  the  heel  downward.  The  frog  should  be  well  pared, 
a  sharp-pointed,  short,  curved  needle  chosen,  and  its  course 
not  made  too  deep,  as  the  sinew  might  be  wounded.  The 
point  of  the  needle  should  be  introduced  about  one  inch 
from  the  toe,  and  brought  out  midway  between  the  bulbs  of 
the  frog  and  the  forward  boundary  of  the  hollow  of  the  heel. 
The  ends  of  the  ^ape  are  then  tied  together,  and  the  seton 
is  dressed  daily,  for  three  weeks  or  a  month,  This  will 
usually  be  found  to  cure  the  lameness;  but  if  it  does  not, 


Scratches  or  Or  ached  Heels,  211 

the  case  may  be  looked  on  as  hopeless,  and  the  most  that  can 
be  expected  will  be  to  render  the  horse,  by  care  and  quiet, 
able  to  do  some  moderate  work. 

Some  relief  may  be  obtained,  by  the  following  hoof  oint- 
ment : — 

No.  222.  Tar, 

Burgundy  pitch, 

Mutton  suet,  of  each  equal  parts. 

SCRATCHES— MITD  FEVEE— CRACKED  HEELS  —  ERYTHEMA  OF  THE 

HEELS. 

Definition. — An  affection  of  the  skin  of  the  heels  in  horses, 

considered  a  variety  of  chronic  erythema,  depending  on  altered 

or  suppressed  secretions. 

Causes. — Exposure  to  mud  and  water,  melting  snow,  ne- 
glect of  grooming,  constitutional  predisposition.  It  is  parti- 
cularly frequent  in  wet,  open  winters. 

Symptoms. — The  horse  is  more  or  less  lame,  especially  on 
(Starting  off  in  the  morning.  The  skin  of  the  heels  is  dry 
and  cracked,  presenting  upon  its  surface  scaly  crusts,  the  parts 
swollen,  and  sensitive  to  the  touch. 

At  times  the  scratches  are  on  all  four  legs,  and  extend  up 
to  the  belly ;  the  horse  is  irritable,  and  some  general  fever  is 
noted.  This  is  the  form  called  "  mud  fever,''  as  it  is  generally 
brought  about  by  the  irritation  of  wet  dirt,  and  lack  of  care. 
For  its  prevention,  it  is  recommended  to  allow  the  dirt  to  dry 
on  the  horse,  and  then  have  it  well  brushed  off,  without  the 
application  of  water ;  or  if  water  is  used  to  remove  it,  that 
the  legs  be  well  bandaged  immediately  afterward. 

Treatment. — The  plan  recommended  by  Mr.  Broad,  of 
Bath,  England,  as  always  successful,  is  to  groom  carefully,  give 
walking  exercise,  and  apply  to  the  parts,  once  or  twice  daily, 
the  following : — 

No.  223.      Solution  of  subacetate  of  lead,  1  oz. 

Glycerine,  8  oz. 

Mix,  and  apply  to  the  parts. 


212  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Sometimes  the  system  needs  to  be  strengthened  by  extra 
diet  and  tonics.  And  if  the  case  seems  very  obstinate,  the 
part  is  to  be  penciled  over  with  nitrate  of  silver  solution. 

No.  224.      Nitrate  of  silver,  1  drachm. 

Water,  1  oz. 

For  a  local  application. 

Or  a  mild  blister  is  to  be  applied,  and  the  system  generally 
altered,  by  the  administration  of  Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic^ 
in  the  usual  dose,  for  a  few  days. 

Other  useful  preparations  arc 


No.  225.      Powdered  alum,  2  drachms. 

Sulphate  of  zinc.  20  grains. 

Water,  1  pint. 

Wash  the  cracks  well  with  this,  and  dress  with  petroleum  ointment* 

No.  226.      Acetate  of  lead, 

Sulphate  of  copper,  of  each  ^  oz. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  water,  for  the  same  purpose  as  the  last. 

When  the  inflammation  is  considerable,  it  may  have  tc  be 
reduced  by  poulticing  ;  the  irritation  and  sensitiveness  which 
remain  can  then  be  reduced  by  the  following : — 

No.  227       Acetate  of  lead. 

Oxide  of  zinc,  each  ^  oz. 

Lard,  3  or  4  oz. 

To  be  applied  after  the  part  has  been  well  washed 

GREASE— ECZEMA  OF  THE  HEELS. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  skin  at  the  back  of 
the  heels  and  fetlocks,  with  a  formation  of  vesicles  and  pus- 
tules, yielding  a  fetid,  watery  discharge. 

Causes. — Negligent  grooming,  exposure  to  cold  and  wet 
in  standing,  together  with  a  constitutional  tendency,  or  a  low 
condition.  Grease  is  scarcely  ever  met  with  in  vigorous 
horses  which  are  well  cared  for. 

Symptoms.  — There  is  an  inflamed  appearance  of  the  skin, 
the  surface  dotted  with  small  blisters  and  pustules,  pouring 


Treatment  of  Grease,  213 

out  a  discharge  of  ill-smelling  matter,  often  considerable  in 
quantity.  The  limb  is  swollen  and  tender,  and  fever  may  be 
present.  The  hind  limbs  are  more  frequently  affected  than 
the  fore  ones.  The  hairs  are  matted  together,  and  masses  of 
proud  flesh  spring  from  the  unhealthy  sores,  forming  rounded 
bunches,  which,  from  their  imagined  resemblance  to  the  fruit, 
are  called  by  farriers  '^grapes.^^  Closer  examination  may  dis- 
cover various  parasites  in  these  masses,  and  around  the  hairs. 

The  main  point  of  difference  between  grease  and  scratches 
is  that  the  former  is  a  moist,  and  the  latter  a  dry  disease  of 
the  skin  (though  irritation  and  ulceration  of  the  cracks,  in 
scratches,  may  sometimes  deceive  the  hasty  observer). 

Treatment. — As  the  disease  is  very  often  owing  to  the 
poor  condition  of  the  animal,  he  should  have  an  entire 
change  of  diet,  should  be  comfortably  housed  and  clothed, 
and  given,  once  a  week,  a  moderate  dose  of  aloes  (4  to  6 
drachms  in  a  pint  of  water).  An  ounce  of  saltpetre  should 
be  placed  daily  in  his  bucket  of  water. 

Locally  the  parts  should  be  kept  clean  by  gentle  bathing 
in  tepid  water,  and  dusting  with  dry  oxide  of  zinc  (flowers 
of  zinc) ;  or  by  bathing  with  the  following,  which  is  highly 
recommended  by  Prof.  Dick  in  the  early  stages  of  the  dis- 
ease : — 

No.  228.  Acetate  of  lead,  1  oz. 

Sulphate  of  zinc,  ^  oz. 

Water,  1  pint. 

Mix  and  apply  twice  daily,  after  cleaning  the  parts  with  warm  soap 
and  water. 

For  the  "grapes'^  Prof.  Dick  recommends  sprinkling  them 
with  powdered  sulphate  of  zinc.  Others  clip  them  off  with 
scissors  ;  or  fasten  a  tight  ligature  around  their  bases  and  let 
them  slough  off;  or  remove  them  with  an  actual  cautery. 

For  the  unpleasant  odor  of  the  discharge,  a  lotion  made 
of  one  part  of  carbolic  acid  to  ten  or  twelve  parts  of  water 
will  prove  effectual.  Prof.  6ramgee  recommends,  as  an  excel- 
lent preparation — 


214  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

No.  229.  Tar,  4  oz.  ^ 

Nitric  acid,  sufficient. 

Pour  the  nitric  acid   on  the  tar,  rapidly  stirring  the  mixture  until 
active  effervescence  ensues.     For  a  local  application. 

Another  preparation  which  he  praises  for  the  same  trou- 
ble is — 

No.  230.  Nitrate  of  potash, 

Oil  of  turpentine, 

Sulphuric  acid,  each,         2  oz. 

Vinegar,  1  pint. 

Mix  together,  and  then  add  as  much  sulphate  of  copper  as  it  will  dis- 
solve, and  apply  locally. 

For  the  bad  odor  a  chloride  of  lime  ointment  is  effect- 
ual— 

No.  231.  Chloride  of  lime,  3  to  6  ozs. 

Lard,  1  lb. 

Mix  and  apply  to  the  parts.     This  also  has  the  advantage,  in  summer, 
of  keeping  the  flies  away  from  the  excoriations. 

An  American  authority  recommends — 

No.  232.  Sulphate  of  copper,  1  oz. 

Water, 

Whisky,  of  each,  1  pint. 

Dissolve  the  vitriol  in  the  water,  then  add  the  whisky.      Apply  three 
times  a  day,  bandaging  the  part  afterward. 


Inflammation  of  the  Bones,  215 

CHAPTER  YIII. 

DISEASES    OF    THE    LEG. 

Inflammation  of  the  Bones. 

Sore  Shins — Inflammation  of  the  Metacarpal  Bones, 

Splints  or  Splents. 

Ring  Bones. 

Bog  Spavin  —  Blood  Spavin  —  Inflammation  of  the  Hock 

Joint. 
Bone  Spavin. 
Thorough-Pin, 
Capped  Hock, 
Side  Bones, 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  BONES— OSTITIS -PERIOSTITIS. 

The  bones  of  the  leg,  and  their  covering,  called  the  ^^  peri- 
osteum,^' are  liable  to  become  inflamed,  and  to  lead  to  sever- 
al varieties  of  lameness,  which  we  shall  examine  in  order. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  METACAEPAL  BONES— SORE  SHINS. 

This  form  of  inflammation  of  the  bones  affects  young 
horses,  particularly  race  horses  under  four  years  old,  and  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  they  are  so  often  violently  overworked. 

Symptoms.  — Lameness  of  the  leg ;  swellings  of  an  elastic, 
tense  and  doughy  feeling  over  the  shin  bone ;  tenderness  and 
heat  on  pressure;  sometimes  slight  general  fever.  The 
swelling  may  become  very  prominent,  and  tend  to  break  ex- 
ternally, but  it  always  preserves  its  elastic  feel ;  or,  it  may 
remain  small  and  gradually  become  quite  hard,  changing 
into  bony  matter,  and  the  pain  disappears. 

Treatment. — If  the  swelling  is  decided  and  the  pain 
severe,  a  narrow-bladed  bistoury  should  be  introduced  be- 
neath the  skin,  and  the  periosteum  freely  cut,  so  as  to  allow 


216  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

its  contents  to  escape.  This  is  to  be  followed  by  warm  and 
soothing  fomentations,  as  hot  water  containing  a  tablespoon- 
ful  of  laudanum  to  the  pint;  later  by  cold  water  dressing, 
and  if  healing  is  not  prompt  a  blister  should  be  applied  to 
the  part. 

With  this,  the  constitutional  treatment  should  not  be  neg- 
lected. A  smart  purgative  is  required,  followed  by  small, 
repeated  doses  of  aconite  (twenty  drops  of  the  tincture  of  the 
root  three  or  four  times  a  day),  low  diet,  and  the  animal 
kept  as  quiet  as  possible. 

In  the  less  severe  forms  incisions  are  not  called  for,  and 
the  cold  applications  may  be  employed  from  the  outset,  suc- 
ceeded by  blisters,  if  needed. 

SPLINTS  OR  SPLEKTS. 

These  arise  from  another  form  of  inflammation  of  the 
metacarpal  bones.  They  are  usually  found  upon  the  inner 
surface  of  the  leg,  at  the  upper  third  of  the  bone.  They 
are  a  bony  growth,  the  result  of  slight  inflammation. 
Although  w^hen  single  and  small  they  may  exist  without 
causing  lameness,  their  presence  may  be  considered  a  mark 
of  unsoundnesss. 

In  regard  to  their  causes,  it  is  said  that  they  are  frequent- 
ly hereditary,  and  are  at  other  times  developed  by  a  long 
continued  moderate  gait,  from  concussions  and  bruises. 
Slightly  built  horses  are  most  subject  to  them. 

The  peculiarities  of  lameness  from  splints  are:  (1)  The 
horse  is  often  quite  young  (2)  A  splint-lame  horse  will 
show  it  little  or  none  in  his  walk,  but  in  a  marked  manner  in 
his  trot,  the  drop  of  the  head  upon  the  sound  side  being 
very  great.  (3)  The  knee  does  not  bend  readily.  (4)  The 
lameness  increases  the  longer  he  is  kept  in  motion.  (5)  Ten- 
derness on  firm  pressure  over  the  seat  of  the  splint. 

Their  presence  may  usually  be  recognized  by  running  the 


Treatment  of  Splint  217 

finger  down  the  slight  groove  formed  between  the  main 
shank  bone  and  the  smaller  one  behind,  where  they  will  be 
felt  as  small,  bony  swellings. 

Treatment. — In  new  and  acute  cases,  with  decided  swell- 
ing and  tenderness,  a  sharp  scalpel  should  be  inserted  be- 
neath the  skin,  and  the  sheath  of  the  bone  freely  divided. 
A  seton  may  be  placed  over  the  spot,  an  active  purgative 
administered,  and  the  part  thoroughly  fomented. 

If  these  measures  fail,  it  is  well  to  fire  the  part  as  recom- 
mended on  page  64. 

After  an  apparent  cure  the  lameness  may  return,  in  which 
case  it  is  best  to  take  the  shoes  off,  turn  the  animal  into  pas- 
ture, and  give  him  a  long  rest. 

A  writer  in  the  London  Lancet  has  given  the  following  as 
a  useful  liniment  in  splint : — 

No.  233.      Oil  of  origanum, 

Oil  of  turpentine,  each  1  oz. 

Alcohol,  ^  oz. 

To  be  applied  night  and  morning,  for  a  few  days  at  a  time. 

RING  BONES. 

These  are  deposits  of  bony  matter  above  and  below  the 
coronet.  They  are  produced  by  heavy  work  in  draught 
horses,  or  by  rheumatic  disease. 

Lameness  may  not  be  present,  although  when  inflamma- 
tion is  active,  it  may  be  extreme.  The  lameness  is  worse  on 
hard  ground,  and  usually  increases  with  exercise.  Swelling 
may  be  scarcely  perceptible,  and  confined  to  the  sides  of  the 
pastern  bone,  or  it  may  be  an  extreme  enlargement  of  the 
whole  region.  Forcible  bending  of  the  pastern  causes  pain, 
as  does  also  firm  pressure  on  the  swelling. 

Treatment. — Active  inflammation,  when  present,  should 
be  treated  as  heretofore  described.  When  this  is  absent,  the 
treatment  is  chiefly  mechanical.     When  the  ring  bone  is  in 


218  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

the  fore  leg  the  horse  puts  the  heel  down  first ;  in  this  case 
a  thin-heeled  bar  shoe  should  be  used.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  puts  the  toe  down  first  and  endeavors  to  walk  on  it, 
this  shows  that  the  ring  bone  is  in  the  hind  limb  and  on  the 
sides  or  back  of  the  pastern.  He  should  then  wear  a  high- 
heeled  shoe. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  HOCK  JOINT— BOG  SPAVIN  — BLOOD 
SPAVIN. 

The  hock  joint  in  the  horse  corresponds  to  the  ankle  joint 
in  man,  and  is  subject  to  a  class  of  diseases  called  spavins. 
Of  these,  bog-spavin  is  the  result  of  inflammation  of  the 
structures  of  the  joint.  It  is,  in  its  acute  forms,  a  tense  fluc- 
tuating swelling,  accompanied  by  heat  and  tenderness,  and 
producing  decided  lameness.  In  a  more  chronic  form  it 
seems  to  be  but  a  dropsical  swelling  of  the  joint,  and  may  exist 
without  apparently  interfering  wdth  the  gait. 

The  tendency  in  the  acute  form  is  toward  ulceration  of 
the  cartilage  of  the  joint,  and  a  consequent  permanent  stiffen- 
ing of  its  motions.  In  chronic  spavin,  which  is  usually  of  a 
rheumatic  character,  there  is  a  slow  depositing  of  bony  sub- 
stance in  and  around  the  joint,  which  also  leads  to  perma- 
nent impairment  of  the  functions. 

Blood  spavin  is  strictly  a  distention  of  one  or  more  of  the 
veins  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  hock,  caused  by  the  pressure 
of  the  swelling  impeding  the  flow  of  the  blood. 

Treatment. — The  treatment  of  acute  spavin  should  be  by 
liberal  doses  of  opium,  to  relieve  pain,  placing  the  horse  in 
the  slings  to  take  the  pressure  off  the  joint,  fomenting  this 
with  hot  w^ater,  giving  a  moderate  dose  of  aloes,  and  adding 
an  ounce  of  saltpetre  to  the  w^ater,  morning  and  night. 

As  soon  as  these  measures  have  conquered  the  inflamma- 
tion, setons  and  blisters  to  the  hock,  and  rubbing  it  freely 
with  ointment  of  iodide  of  mercury  (No.  162),  will  prevent 
the  remaining  lameness. 


On  Spavin.  219 

"WTien  in  chronic  cases  there  is  considerable  deposit  of 
water  around  the  joint,  blisters,  setons  and  firing  will  often 
lessen  it.  But  when  the  bony  deposits  are  once  formed,  there 
are  no  means  at  our  command  to  remove  them.  As  a  blis- 
tering liniment  in  chronic  cases,  we  may  use — 

No.  234.      Mercurial  ointment,  2  oz. 

Oil  of  cantharides,  4  drachms. 

Mix  and  use  locally. 

The  oil  of  cantharides,  which  is  preferred  by  some  veteri- 
narians to  other  forms  of  Spanish  flies,  is  made  thus : — 

No,  235.      Powdered  flies,  1  oz. 

Olive  oil,  8  oz. 

Digest  in  a  water  bath  for  three  hours,  and  filter. 

It  is  an  efficient  stimulating  liniment. 

BONE  SPAVIN. 

Definition. — A  bony  growth  on  the  inner  and  lower  side 
of  the  hock,  arising  from  inflammation  of  the  adjacent  bones 
(the  cuneiform  and  metatarsal),  terminating  generally  in  a 
bony  union  between  two  or  more  bones  of  the  hock,  and  thus 
creating  a  permanent  unsoundness. 

Causes. — These  are  defined  to  be  hereditary  and  constitu- 
tional. All  writers  agree  that  bone  spavin  is  transmitted  from 
sires  and  dams  to  colts.  Local  exciting  causes  are  sprains  of 
the  lio^aments,  and  the  use  of  shoes  with  hio;h  heels  or  calks. 
Blows,  it  is  believed  by  the  best  surgeons,  do  not  cause 
spavin,  in  spite  of  w^hat  certain  horse  breeders  have  main- 
tained to  the  contrary. 

S3^ptomSi — Spavins  do  not  always  cause  lameness,  but 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  say  which  ones  are  not  liable  to 
develop  it.  As  a  rule,  those  in  front  of  the  hock  are  most 
feared.  The  lameness  is,  as  a  rule,  removable  in  young 
horses,  but  incurable  in  those  past  their  prime.  Yet  one 
which  has  existed  for  a  number  of  years  without  producing 


220  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

serious  trouble  with  the  gait,  will,  as  a  rule,  never  do  so. 
There  is  always  a  certain  stiffness  about  a  spavined  horse, 
which  is  observable  to  an  experienced  eye,  although  it  is 
often  so  slight  as  to  pass  undetected  by  ordinary  witnesses. 

Treatment. — The  treatment  for  recent  cases  is  the  same  as 
that  directed  for  other  inflammations  in  the  foot  and  neigh- 
borhood. 

When  the  acute  symptoms  have  subsided,  blistering  or 
firino^,  or  the  insertion  of  a  seton  is  called  for.  Various 
stimulating  oils,  and  the  like  applications,  are  used  for  a 
similar  object,  as — 

No.  236.  Oil  of  turpentine,  12  parts. 

Corrosive  sublimate,  1  part. 

Mix  for  a  resolvent  ointment 

The  objection  to  corrosive  sublimate  is  that  it  blemishes. 

No.  237.  Mercurial  ointment,  4  oz. 

Powdered  cantharides,  ^  oz. 

Oil  of  rosemary,  2  drachms. 

Thoroughly  and  frequently  rubbing  the  part  with  oleate  of 
mercury  (referred  to  under  Rheumatism,  p.  181),  will  dis- 
sipate as  much  of  tlie  swelling  as  has  not  become  bone. 

Firing  has  often  been  used  with  success  in  very  obstinate 
cases;  and  of  all  our  resources,  it  is  the  one  on  which  most 
confidence  can  be  placed.  The  objection  to  it  is  that  it 
blemishes;  but  any  severe  caustic  application  may  do  the 
same;  and  by  the  use  of  Prof.  Williams'  firing  iron,  pre- 
viously described  (page  65),  this  objection  is  largely  re- 
moved. 

Setons  are  next  in  value,  if  not  fully  equal ;  and  if  skill- 
fully inserted,  leave  little  mark.  They  should  be  passed  be- 
neath a  considerable  tract  of  skin,  covering  the  site  of  the 
spavin,  and  the  tape  anointed  with  one  of  the  stimulant  pre- 
parations mentioned  in  Part  First  (p.  64). 

Before  using  any  of  these  external  remedies,  it  is  good 


Spavin  and   TJior^ough-pin.  221 

practice  to  insert  under  the  skin  a  narrow-bladed  bistoury, 
and  scarify  the  site  of  the  spavin  freely;  and  during  the 
treatment,  which  on  an  average  will  be  two  months,  the 
horse  should  be  stabled  and  used  very  little. 

THOROUGHPIN. 

Definition. — A  dropsicai  enlargement  of  the  sheath  of  the 
tendon  which  passes  along  the  upper  and  posterior  side  of 
the  hock  joint  (synovial  eifusion  in  the  bursa  of  the  flexor 
pedis  perforans  muscle).  The  disease  receives  its  name  be- 
cause the  fluid  which  fills  it  may  by  pressure  be  forced  from 
one  side  of  the  hock  to  the  other.  There  is  really  no  con- 
nection between  the  joint  of  the  hock  and  the  sheath  of  the 
tendon.  Thorough-pin  is  a  dropsical  eifusion  in  the  latter; 
bog  spavin  is  a  similar  effusion  in  the  former. 

Causes. — Thorough-pin  is  usually  found  in  short,  fleshy 
horses,  and  those  which  have  heavy  loads  to  start,  thus  strain- 
ing the  tendon  of  the  perforating  muscle. 

S3^ptoms. — The  distinctions  pointed  out  in  the  definition 
of  the  disease  will  serve  to  distinguish  it  from  bog  spavin, 
which  is  the  only  disease  with  which  it  is  liable  to  be  con- 
founded. 

Treatment. — The  horse  should  wear  a  shoe  with  high 
heels,  and  a  spring  truss  be  applied  to  the  swelling,  exerting 
upon  it  steady  compression. 

A  more  active  plan,  recommended  by  some,  is  to  make  a 
free  puncture  at  the  most  dependent  part  of  the  swelling,  and 
allow  the  whole  of  the  fluid  to  drain  off,  keeping  the  punc- 
ture open  for  several  days.  Meanwhile  the  sack  should  be 
injected  with  a  mild  solution  of  sulphate  of  zinc  (ten  grains 
to  the  ounce  of  water),  or  with  dilute  tincture  of  iodine. 

No.  238.  Tincture  of  iodine,  1  drachm. 

Whisky,  1  oz. 

Inject  one  or  two  teaspoon fuls. 


222  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Tlie  walls  of  the  sack  should  then  be  brought  into  close 
contact  by  a  firm  flannel  bandage,  and  the  horse  be  rested 
for  a  week. 

Other  surgeons  use  a  resolvent  ointment,  as 

No.  239.  Biniodide  of  mercury,  1  part. 

Neats-foot  oil,  7  parts. 

Eub  well  together,  and  apply  by  gentle  friction  every  day,  until  the 
skin  is  inflamed. 

CAPPED   HOCK. 

Definition. — A  swelling  on  and  around  the  point  of  the 
hock,  caused  either  by  an  effusion  into  the  tendon  of  the  gas- 
trocnemius muscle — Synovial  Capped  Hock — or  into  the 
loose  tissue  between  that  tendon  and  the  skin — ^Serous  Capped 
Hock. 

Causes. — Both  these  forms  of  capped  hock  generally  pro- 
ceed from  kicking  and  striking  the  point  of  the  hock  against 
some  hard  object,  and  are  indicative  of  a  vicious  temj)er  as 
well  as  of  an  unsound  horse.  The  synovial  form  causes 
lameness,  but  the  serous  form  does  not  necessarily  do  so. 

Treatment. — The  serous  form  can  generally  be  cured  by 
blistering  and  applying  firm  presssure  with  a  strong  elastic 
bandage.  The  synovial  form  must  be  managed  in  the  same 
manner  laid  down  for  thorough-pin,  it  being  a  disorder  of  a 
etrictly  similar  nature. 

SIDE  BONES. 

Definition. — A  change  to  a  bony  substance,  taking  place  in 
the  lateral  cartilages  of  the  fore  feet. 

Causes. — This  change  is  usually  found  in  heavy  draught 
horses,  and  is  attributed  to  the  over  expansion  of  the  car- 
tilages from  the  great  weight  of  the  animal,  added  to  a  he- 
reditary tendency,  and  shoeing  with  high  calks. 


Side  Bones.  223 

Symptoms. — Lameness  is  not  invariably  present,  but  the 
action  of  the  horse  is  ^'stilty  f  the  feet  are  contracted,  altered 
in  form,  flat  or  convex  in  the  sole,  and  weak  in  the  heels. 

The  presence  of  the  side  bones  may  be  detected  by  pressing 
upon  the  cartilages ;  when  in  health  these  are  yielding  and 
elastic,  but  when  ossified  they  lose  this  character  and  are 
hard,  enlarged  and  unyielding. 

The  lameness  of  side  bones  differs  from  that  caused  by 
rino:  bones.  In  side  bone  lameness  the  toe  of  the  foot  is  first 
brought  to  the  ground ;  when  both  feet  are  involved,  there 
are  a  shortness  of  step  and  a  want  of  elasticity  in  the  action, 
resembling  that  of  "grogginess"  (p.  209). 

Treatment. — This  must  be  by  the  use  of  the  bar  shoe ; 
rest  to  the  limb ;  counter-irritation  by  blisters  and  firing. 
Removal  of  the  cartilages  with  the  knife  has  been  tried  in 
France,  but  without  satisfactory  results. 


224  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

CHAPTER   IX. 

WOUNDS   AND   IIs'JURIES,  AND   THEIR   RESULTS. 

The  General  Treatment  of  WouTids;  To  check  bleeding;  Clean- 
ing the  wound;  Restoring  the  position  of  the  parts;  To  pre- 
vent inflammation. 

Sprains  or  Strains. 

Strains  of  the  shoulder  and  leg  ;  Rheumatic  joint ;  Sprain  of 
the  flexor  muscles  ;  Shoulder  Slip ;  Sprain  of  the  hack  sin- 
ews, or  flexor  tendons. 

Injuries  of  the  Foot  and  Lower  Leg  ;  Interfering ;  Over- 
reach;   Tread,  or  Calking;  Speedy  cut;  Brushing, 

Wounds  of  the  Knees — Broken  Knees. 

Elbow  Sprain — Elbow  Lameness. 

Breaking  Down — Strain  or  Rupture  of  the  Suspensory  Liga- 
ments. 

Wind-galls. 

Curb — Sprain  of  the  Calcaneo-cuboid  Ligaments, 

Poll  Evil. 

Fistulous  Withers. 

Rotten  Bone — Necrosis  and  Caries  of  Bones. 

Frostbite, 

Burns  and  Scalds, 

Stings  and  Bites. 

Hernia — Rupture — Burst, 

Choking, 

THE  GENERAL  TREATMENT  OF  WOUNDS. 

Whatever  form  of  wound  we  are  called  upon  to  treat,  we 
should  proceed  to  attend  to  four  points  to  wit : 

1.  To  stop  the  bleeding,  if  any. 

2.  To  wash  and  clean  the  wound  thoroughly. 


Treatment  of  Wounds.  225 

3.  To  bring  the  parts  as  near  as  possible  into  their  natural 
positions,  and  keep  them  tliere. 

4.  To  guard  against  excessive  inflammation. 

The  means  we  have  to  accomplish  these  results  are  as  fol- 
lows : — 

1.  To  Chech  Bleeding. — If  the  blood  is  bright  red,  and 
flows  in  spurts  or  jets,  an  artery  has  been  cut.  Its  open  end 
must  be  sought  for,  seized  with  the  forceps,  drawn  out  a  little 
and  tied  with  a  thread.  A  little  practice  will  enable  any  one 
to  do  this  with  great  ease. 

If  the  flow  is  steady  and  of  dark  blood,  it  need  cause  no 
anxiety.  Bathing  the  part  in  alum  water  (1  oz.  of  alum,  in 
powder,  to  a  pint  of  water),  rubbing  it  with  a  piece  of  ice,  or 
sponging  it  with  clean  water  will  quickly  check  it. 

2.  Cleaning  the  Wound. — This  is  best  done  by  pouring 
water  on  it  from  a  height,  not  rubbing  it  with  sponges  or 
rags.  Pieces  of  hair,  dirt,  etc.,  can  be  picked  out  with  the 
forceps.  Nothing  is  so  useful  for  a  cleansing  wash  as  a  weak 
solution  of  carbolic  acid,  one  or  two  ounces  of  tlie  acid  to  a 
gallon  of  water. 

3.  Restoring  the  Position  of  the  Parts. — The  edges  of  a  cut 
wound  should  be  carefully  brought  together  and  sewed  or  held 
by  sticking  plaster.  A  broken  bone  should  be  replaced  in 
its  natural  position  and  held  there  by  splints.  Strong  curved 
surgical  needles  should  be  in  the  outfit  of  every  stock  owner, 
and  he  should  practice  their  use  on  the  dead  animal.  Where 
they  are  not  convenient,  the  edges  of  a  wound  may  be  held 
together  by  inserting  a  strong  pin  and  a  twisted  suture,  as 
shown  on  page  67. 

The  sutm-es  are  generally  removed  on  the  fifth  or  sixth 
day. 

As  to  local  applications,  after  the  wound  is  thus  put  up, 
they  are  to  be  found  in  any  quantity.     Some  good  surgeons 

15 


226  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

advocate  nothing  but  a  dry  bandage;  others  a  wet  one, 
moistened  with  cold  or  hot  water,  carbolic  acid  water,  crea- 
sote  and  water,  *tar,  petroleum  solution  of  borax,  and  many 
other  substances.  Wet  clay  has  been  praised.  And  there 
are  a  great  many  ointments,  balsams,  oils,  etc. 

Whisky  and  water,  equal  parts,  either  simple  or  contain- 
ing one  grain  of  corrosive  sublimate  to  the  pint,  is  an  excel- 
lent dressing. 

4.  To  Prevent  Inflammation.  The  older  surgeons  had  a 
great  fear  of  ^'wound  fever,"  and  to  prevent  it  were  wont  to 
bleed  and  starve  their  patients  after  an  injury.  This  notion 
has  long  since  disappeared  from  human  surgery,  but  still 
holds  its  grounds  with  some  veterinarians.  It  is  a  pernicious 
error. 

All  that  is  needed  to  prevent  too  violent  reaction  after  a 
wound — and  that  is  what  was  meant  by  wound  fever — is  to 
keep  the  animal  quiet,  and  if  feverish  symptoms  appear,  to 
put  an  ounce  of  saltpetre  in  the  drink,  night  and  morning, 
and  administer  a  gentle  purge.  If  there  is  much  pain,  noth- 
ing equals  a  full  dose  of  opium,  either  in  the  shape  of  lauda- 
num by  the  mouth  or  of  morpliia  beneath  the  skin. 

The  dressings  on  the  wound  should  be  neatly  and  com- 
fortably applied,  and  then  not  often  changed.  Cloths  wet 
with  weak  carbolic  acid  water  two  or  three  times  a  day  are 
never  approached  by  flies  or  maggots,  a  point  that  must  al- 
ways be  watched  in  the  lower  animals. 

Often  the  wound  is  not  seen  for  purposes  of  treatment 
until  days  after  it  has  occurred,  and  after  it  has  become  foul, 
ulcerous,  bad  smelling,  with  ragged  edges  and  perhaps  filled 
with  mao;p;ots. 

Here  the  first  step  Is  to  clean  and  disinfect  it  thoroughly. 
To  kill  the  maggots  it  may  be  freely  sprinkled  with  calomel. 
This  will  penetrate  into  the  recesses  of  the  wound  and 
destroy  them  promptly.     Ragged  edges  and  pieces  of  dead 


Treatment  of  Wounds.  227 

skin  should  be  cut  away,  loose  shreds  removed  with  the 
scissors,  and  the  wound  washed  by  pouring  warm  water  on  it 
from  a  height.  When  in  this  manner  it  is  w^ell  cleaned  it 
should  be  thoroughly  swabbed  with  a  feather,  or  a  piece  of 
tow  on  the  end  of  a  stick,  with  a  disinfecting  and  stimulating 
lotion,  in  which  also  pieces  of  tow,  lint  or  rag  should  be  wet 
and  laid  in  and  over  the  wound ;  the  whole  to  be  covered 
by  a  bandage  wet  with  the  same.  The  wetting  should  be 
repeated  two  or  three  times  a  day,  but  the  bandage  need  not 
be  removed  as  long  as  the  part  appears  progressing  favorably 
and  the  animal  is  comfortable. 

Of  such  disinfecting  and  stimulating  lotions  we  shall  give 
a  number  of  formulas,  so  that  when  the  ingredients  of  one 
are  not  convenient  another  may  be  chosen  : — 


No.  240. 

Alcohol  or  whisky, 
Corrosive  sublimate, 

1  pint, 
1  grain. 

No.  241. 

Carbolic  acid. 
Water, 

2  drachms, 
1  pint. 

No.  242. 

Powdered  alum. 
Sugar  of  lead. 
Water, 

i  oz, 
1  oz. 
Ipt. 

No.  243. 

Hydrate  of  chloral, 
Water, 

n  oz. 

ipt. 

A  very  excellent  application. 

No.  244. 

Creasote, 
Water, 

1  drachm, 
Iqt. 

No.  245. 

Chloride  of  zinc, 
Water, 

1  drachm, 
1  qt. 

No.  246. 

Tar, 

Boiling  water, 

^pt. 
1  gal. 

Crude  petroleum  is  an  excellent  application  also. 


228  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

tSPRAINS  OR  STRAINS. 

Definition. — Stretching  of  a  muscle,  sinew  or  cartilage,  with 
rupture  or  other  injury  to  some  of  its  fibres. 

Causes. — Sprains  may  arise  from  sudden  violent  exertion, 
or  long  continued  slight  overtasking  of  the  parts.  They  are 
common  in  the  horse,  which  is  so  frequently  set  to  work 
above  his  powers;  and  they  cause  a  number  of  lamenesses, of 
frequent  recurrence. 

Symptoms. — Strains  are  always  followed  by  more  or  less 
inflammation,  characterized  by  pain  and  tenderness,  heat  and 
swelling  in  and  around  the  part  strained.  Unless  relieved 
by  proper  measures,  this  condition  is  very  liable  to  lead  to 
one  of  atrophy  or  withering  in  the  part,  a  form  of  unsound- 
ness which  is  familiarly  known  in  the  horse  as  a  sweeny, 
from  the  German  word  schwrnden,  to  grow  less,  to  disappear, 

Treatment. — The  general  line  of  treatment  in  sprains  and 
strains  may  be  stated  as  follows  :  (1)  Give  the  part  rest; 
(2)  Reduce  the  early  inflammation  by  cold  or  hot  water  fo- 
mentations, cooling  lotions,  etc.  (3)  Firm  and  steady  pres- 
sure by  bandages,  to  prevent  "bagging''  (serous  infiltration) ; 
(4)  Counter-irritations  and  gentle  but  regular  use,  to  prevent 
stiffness  and  sweeny. 

In  carrying  these  principles  out  we  may  use,  to  reduce  in- 
flammation, either  plain  cold  or  quite  hot  water,  whichever 
gives  most  relief.  Or  we  can  employ  some  of  the  many 
evaporating  and  refrigerant  lotions  which  have  been  suggest- 
ed, as,  for  example — 

No.  247.  Sal  ammoniac,  1  o«. 

Nitrate  of  potash,  2  oz. 

Water,  1  pint. 
Mix  and  use  as  soon  as  it  is  made. 

No.  248.  Acetate  of  lead,  1  oz. 

Vinegar, 

Water,  each,  1  pint. 

An  efficient,  cheap  and  useful  lotion. 


Treatment  of  Sprains,  229 

No.  249.  Spirits  of  camphor,  1  oz. 

Vinegar,  4  oz. 

Water,  1  pt. 
Also  cheap  and  effective. 

No.  250.  Tincture  of  arnica.  ^  oz. 

Water,  1  pt. 

A  very  popular  lotion.     Eminent  surgeons,  however,  doubt  whether 

the  good  effect  is  not  owing  to  the  alcohol  in  the  tincture  rather 

than  the  arnica. 

After  the  inflammation  has  subsided  there  are  almost  always 
stiffness,  swelling  and  pain  on  motion  of  the  j^art,  often  very 
slow  to  disperse,  and  particularly  so  in  old  patients.  A  host 
of  substances  are  used  for  rubbing  and  irritating  the  surface, 
in  order  to  stimulate  the  vessels  and  bring  about  the  absorp- 
tion of  the  effusion.  As  among  the  most  effective  of  these, 
we  mention  olcate  of  mercury y  already  described  (see  page 
181),  and  the  ointments  of  the  iodide  of  mercury  (No. 
162),  and  of  iodine  (No.  81).  Any  one  of  these  dili- 
gently and  persistently  used  will  generally  dissipate  the 
swelling. 

Others  of  value  are  the  two  following,  recommended  by 
Mr.  Dun  : — 

No.  251.      Mercurial  ointment,  2  oz. 

Camphor,  1  drachm. 

Oil  of  tar, 

Linseed  oil,  each  4  oz. 

No.  252.      Mercurial  ointment,  2  oz. 

Creasote,  1  drachm. 

Solution  of  ammonia,  2  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  6  oz. 

Mr.  Gamgee  speaks  favorably  of — 

No.  253.      Iodine,  ^  oz. 
Glycerine, 

Mercurial  ointment,  each  2  oz. 

Olive  oil,  6  oz. 

All  of  the  above  are  excellent  combinations,  useful  not 
only  in  the  swellings  from  old  sprains  and  strains,  but  in 
those  from  chronic  rheumatism,  scrofulous  enlarged  glandi? 


230  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

(as  in  tlie  slow  form  of  strangles,  goitre,  etc.),  and  the  late  re- 
sults of  inflammation  of  the  udder,  in  weed,  etc. 
To  those  we  may  add — 

No.  254.      Oil  of  turpentine,  1  oz. 

Spirits  of  camphor,  2  oz. 

Specially  recommended  for  pains  in  the  shoulder,  threatened  with 
sweeny. 

No.  255.      Iodine,  1  oz. 

Soap  liniment,  12  oz. 

For  callous  swellings  after  bruises,  and  chronic  glandular  enlarge- 
ments. 

STRAINS  OF  THE  SHOTTLDER  AND  LEG. 

Lameness  which  has  its  seat  in  the  shoulder  joint  may  be 
owing  to  three  different  conditions. 

1st.  Rheumatism  or  injury  in  the  joint. 

2d.  Strain  of  the  back  or  flexor  muscles. 

3d.  Shoulder  slip. 

We  shall  proceed  to  consider  briefly  each  of  these. 

1st  Rheumatism  or  Injury  in  the  Joint 

This  is  what  is  generally  meant  by  the  term  "  shoulder 
lameness.''  The  gait  of  the  horse  reveals  the  seat  of  the  dis- 
ease at  once  to  a  practiced  eye.  He  does  not  carry  his  limb 
straight  forward,  but  with  a  circular  or  swinging  motion,  the 
foot  being  thrown  outward^  so  that  the  toe  is  made  to  describe 
the  arc  of  a  circle.  Sometimes  the  toe  is  dragged  along  the 
ground,  pain  in  lifting  the  foot  being  characteristic  of  shoul- 
der and  knee  lameness,  while  pain  in  putting  it  down  is  char- 
acteristic of  foot  lamenesses. 

If  when  the  horse  is  at  rest  the  limb  be  moved  backward 
and  forward,  he  will  shrink  and  show  distinctly  the  hurt  he 
feels.     Sometimes  swelling  and  heat  about  the  joint  can  be 
discovered. 
2d  Sprain  of  the  Flexor  Muscle. 

This  is  the  muscle  which  lifts  and  advances  the  limb,  and 


sprains  and  Strains,  231 

it  is  quite  common  for  it  to  suffer  from  over  exertion.  It 
will  be  found  swollen  and  tender  along  its  whole  course. 
Such  an  accident  is  especially  common  in  plough  horses,  and 
is  nearly  always  on  the  offside,  because  the  limbs  and  shoul- 
ders are  thrown  into  an  irrregular  position  by  walking  in  the 
furrow.'  Such  horses  will  work  on  the  road  without  any 
lameness,  but  will  show  it  as  soon  as  they -are  put  to  the 
plough. 

3.  Shoulder  Slip, 

By  this  is  meant  a  peculiar  outward  slipping  movement  of 
the  shoulder  joint  at  each  step  the  animal  takes  when  the  foot 
of  the  lame  limb  is  upon  the  ground,  and  the  opposite  one 
lifted.  It  might  be  supposed  that  each  step  threw  the 
shoulder  out  of  joint.  But  this  is  not  the  case.  The  cause 
of  the  trouble  is  the  relaxation  of  the  muscles  which  usually 
hold  the  bone  firmly  into  the  cavity  of  the  joint  (those  mus- 
cles called  by  anatomists  the  anterior  spinatus,  the  posterior 
spinatus,  and  i\\Q  external  round  muscle).  This  allows  the 
bone  to  slip  around  loosely,  spoils  the  gait,  and  is  liable  to  be 
followed  by  sweeny. 

Treatment. — The  management  of  these  injuries  must  be 
on  the  general  principles  laid  down  for  sprains.  When  re- 
cent, and  when  inflammation  is  present,  the  horse  should  be 
slung,  and  the  part  treated  Vvdth  cold  or  hot  fomentations. 

Generally,  however,  a  more  important  question  is  what  to 
do  with  such  cases  in  their  chronic  stage,  when  they  are  of 
long  standing.  Some  horse  doctors  claim  vast  skill  in  their 
treatment  of  sweeny,  their  process  always  being  a  profound 
mystery. 

The  best  books  on  the  subject  do  not  have  other  recom- 
mendation for  the  restoration  of  the  muscles  when  wasted 
than  the  repeated  applications  of  moderately  stimulating  lini- 


232  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

ments,  and  mild  blisters,  and  a  long  period  of  rest  in  the 
barn-yard  or  at  grass. 

There  are  two  agents,  however,  worth  trying :  The  one  is  the 
hypodermic  injection  of  strychnia,  one-half  to  one  grain  daily, 
immediately  over  the  "sweenied"  muscle;  and  the  other  the 
steady  and  intelligent  use  of  electricity.  "When  the  animal 
is  a  valuable  one,  it  will  pay  to  have  one  or  both  these 
measures  carried  out  by  a  skillful  person. 

SPRAIN  OF  TEE  BACK  SINEWS,  OR  FLEXOR  TENDONS. 

This  strain  or  diseased  condition  of  the  back  sinews  is  gen- 
erally seen  in  cart  horses  and  others  required  to  pull  heavy 
loads.  It  is  a  very  common  variety  of  lameness.  The 
sinew  becomes  sw^ollen,  tender,  enlarged  and  a  little  shortened, 
so  that  the  horse  stands  on  his  toes  and  cannot  put  his  heels 
to  the  ground.  The  leg  is  held  stiff  and  upright  and  the  toe 
dug  into  the  ground. 

The  treatment  required  is  a  high-heeled  shoe,  with  rest, 
and  stimulating  liniments.  In  old  cases,  where  there  is  much 
shortening,  the  sinew  may  be  divided  beneath  the  skin,  by 
the  operation  called  tenotomy.  To  perform  this  requires  a 
close  knowledge  of  the  anatomy  of  the  parts,  to  avoid  wound- 
ing the  artery,  so  that  it  had  better  be  left  to  the  professional 
veterinarian.  ' 

INJURIES  OF  THE  FOOT  AND  LOWER  LEG. 

Interfering. — This  is  an  injury  of  the  fetlock,  caused  by  a 
blow  by  the  opposite  fo.,t.  It  is  commonly  seen  in  young 
and  awkward,  or  else  ill-shod  horses,  and  can  generally  be 
prevented  by  judicious  shoeing  and  protecting  the  fetlock 
with  a  piece  of  leather. 

An  Overreach  is  an  injury  to  the  coronet  of  the  fore  foot 
by  the  shoe  of  the  hind  foot.     It,  too,  is  often  owing  to  im- 


Wounds  and  Injuries.  233 

proper  shoeing,  but  some  horses,  when  traveling  at  a  rapid 
gait,  are  liable  to  the  accident,  although  well  shod. 

A  Tread  or  Calking  is  a  wound  upon  the  coronet  by  the 
shoe  of  another  foot  of  the  same  animal ;  or  by  the  foot  of 
another  animal  when  crowded  together,  as  at  fairr,  in  rail- 
road cars,  etc.  It  is  liable  to  bring  on  quittor,  and  thus 
cause  serious  damage. 

A  Speedy  Cut  is  a  contusion  on  the  fore  leg,  either  above 
or  below  the  knee  joint.  It  generally  occurs  when  the  horse 
is  23ushed  to  considerable  speed,  and  is  a  dangerous  accident 
to  both  horse  and  rider,  as  the  animal  is  apt  to  fall  down 
suddenly,  from  the  violence  of  the  pain.  It  can  sometimes 
be  prevented  by  careful  shoeing,  but  this  does  not  succeed 
with  some  horses.  In  such  it  constitues,  in  law,  an  unsound- 
ness. 

Brushing  is  caused  by  the  shoe  of  one  foot  striking  against 
the  fetlock.  It  is  generally  in  the  hind  limbs,  and  in 
young  horses  or  those  exhausted  and  out  of  condition.  The 
remedy  Is  to  use  preventive  shoes,  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  injury. 

Most  of  these  injuries  may  be  lessened  or  prevented  by  a 
scientific  manner  of  shoeing,  for  which  no  specific  directions 
can  be  well  given,  as  the  form  and  manner  of  fastening  the 
shoe  must  vary  with  the  particular  foot  and  the  particular 
nature  of  the  injury.  As  for  the  treatment  of  the  latter  it- 
self, it  will  be  in  accordance  with  the  general  treatment  of 
wounds  and  Injuries  as  laid  down  on  pp.  225,  etc. 

WOUNDS  OF  THE  KNEES— BROKEN  KNEES. 

Any  Injury  whatever  to  the  knee  of  a  horse  may  have  dis- 
astrous results,  and  should  be  closely  watched;  nor  should 
a  purchaser  accept  as  sound  an  animal  that  is  scarred  or  at 
all  swollen  at  the  knees.  All  careful  horsemen  give  the 
closest  attention  to  such  injuries,  and  treat  them  as  follows : 


234  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

1.  When  the  skin  is  bruised  but  not  cut. — Tie  up  the  ani- 
mal's head  so  that  he  cannot  lie  clown ;  sponge  the  knee  re- 
peatedly with  a  cooling  lotion  (No.  247):  if  there  is  much 
swelling  give  a  purge. 

2.  When  the  skin  is  cut. — Clean  the  wound  very  carefully, 
by  repeated  w^ashing,  and  if  needed  a  poultice,  then  clip  the 
hair  around  it,  and  fasten  the  edges  together  with  sticking 
plaster,  and  bandage  lightly.  Never  stitch  or  pin  a  knee 
wound.     Stitches  will  not  hold  and  always  blemish. 

3.  When  the  sheath  of  the  sinew  is  torn  open. — The  swell- 
ing is  generally  very  considerable,  but  the  wound  appears 
worse  than  it  will  prove  to  be  if  careful  treatment  is  used. 
Tie  the  horse  up,  clean  and  fasten  the  parts  together,  as  above 
directed,  give  a  brisk  purge,  use  saltpetre  daily  in  the  water, 
and  when  the  wound  is  healing  hasten  absorption  by  stimu- 
lating liniments.  If  the  wound  becomes  unhealthy,  syringe 
it  with  Aveak  carbolic  acid  water  (one  drachm  to  the  pint). 

4.  When  the  sinew  is  torn  and  the  joint  opened. — A  w^ound 
of  this  severity  will  either  kill  the  horse,  from  the  fever, 
suppuration  and  exhaustion  which  are  certain  to  follow;  or, 
if  he  recovers  from  these,  will  leave  him  with  a  stiiF  joint 
and  lame  for  life.  It  is  only  in  exceptional  cases,  therefore, 
that  it  is  worth  while  to  try  to  save  him.  He  should  be 
treated  as  last  described,  with  the  addition  of  strong  tonics, 
to  keep  up  his  strength. 

ELBOW    LAMENESS,  ELBOW  SPRAIN. 

A  lameness  which  arises  from  a  disease  of  the  elbow  joint 
or  a  sprain  of  its  ligaments,  shows  itself  by  a  half-bent 
position  of  the  limb  while  the  horse  is  standing;  unwilling- 
ness to  lift  the  foot  far  from  the  ground ;  and  an  excessive 
dropping  or  nodding  of  the  head  and  shoulders  when  in 
motion. 

The  cause  of  a  sprain  at  this  point  is  usually  the  horse's 


Strains  and  Sprains.  235 

fore  leg  slipjiing  outward  or  forward  on  the  ground,  in  frosty 
weather.  The  usual  signs  of  inflammation  may  generally 
be  discovered  around  the  elbow,  on  examination. 

BEEAZn^G  DOWN-STRAIF  OF  THE  SUSPENSORY  LIGAMEITr. 

The  suspensory  ligament  is  at  the  back  part  of  the  knee, 
and  passes  down  to  the  foot.  Its  strain  usually  takes  place  in 
young,  fast  horses  who  are  speeded  beyond  their  powers. 
When  it  comes  on  suddenly,  with  actual  tearing  of  the  liga- 
ments, the  horse  at  once  becomes  excessively,  and  often  per- 
manently, lame,  and  the  injury  is  called  "  breaking  down." 
It  may  also  appear  gradually,  and  then,  if  taken  in  time,  a 
few  months'  rest  and  the  ordinary  treatment  will  restore  the 
parts  to  their  original  strength. 

The  lameness,  when  from  "  breaking  down,"  appears  sud- 
denly, in  either  the  fore  or  kind  leg ;  there  is  intense  pain, 
heat  and  swelling,  the  horse  turns  up  his  toes,  and  there  is  a 
falling  of  the  fetlock  pads.  ,He  stands  on  his  fetlocks,  as  it 
were,  the  toe  being  turned  up  and  the  sole  looking  forward. 
The  same  symptoms,  in  a  much  milder  form,  mark  the  slower 
and  insidious  form  of  the  injury. 

WINDGALLS. 

Definition. — Dropsy  of  the  bursa  of  the  sesamoid  bones  at 
the  back  part  of  the  fetlock,  or  inflammation  of  the  bones 
themselves,  with  effusion. 

This  injury  shows  itself  when  it  is  in  the  form  of  wind- 
galls,  as  soft,  puffy  swellings  about  the  size  of  a  hickory  nut, 
to  the  back  and  sides  of  the  fetlock.  They  are  not  consid- 
ered an  unsoundness,  as  they  can  generally  be  dispersed  by  a 
stimulating  liniment  and  wearing  a  high-heeled  shoe.  Or 
the  swelling  may  be  opened,  the  fluid  allowed  to  escape,  and 
the  sac  mjected,  as  reconmaended  for  bog  spavin,  page  219. 


236  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

Bat  there  is  a  hard  variety  of  windgall,  where  the  small 
"  sesamoid  ^^  bones  themselves  are  inflamed,  and  this  is  a  more 
serious  matter.  The  horse  is  then  lame,  going  on  his  toe, 
and  there  is  heat  and  and  swelling  at  the  back  of  the  fetlock. 
The  swelling  is  lense  and  hard,  quite  different  from  the 
"boggy"  feel  of  common  windgall. 

For  the  relief  of  the  latter,  it  is  recommended  to  place  the 
animal  in  slings,  and  to  bathe  the  part  steadily  with  cold 
water ;  when  the  tenderness  lessens,  give  him  rest,  and  let 
him  for  a  long  time  wear  only  high-heeled  shoes. 

CURB. 

Definition. — A  sprain  of  one  of  the  ligaments  of  the  foot 
(the  calcaneo-cuboid  ligament). 

Symptoms. — Curb  presents  itself  in  some  instances  as  a 
small,  hard  nodule  upon  the  lower  part  of  the  back  portion 
of  the  hock.  In  others  it  is  an  elastic,  moderately  soft,  but 
firm  and  easily  seen  protuberance  on  the  back  of  the  hock, 
four  to  five  inches  below  the  point  of  the  heel  bone  (os  calcis). 
Hocks  which  are  bent  over  are  most  liable  to  curb. 

The  lameness  curb  produces  is  marked  by  difficulty  in  ex- 
tending the  hock,  and  in  some  severe  cases  by  the  animal 
keeping  the  limb  elevated  so  as  to  relax  the  ligaments. 

Treatment. — The  shoe  should  have  a  high  heel,  and  the 
part  be  placed  at  rest  and  treated  with  cold  water  and  cool- 
ing lotions  as  long  as  any  inflammation  remains,  as  evidenced 
by  heat  and  tenderness. 

"When  this  has  disappeared,  it  will  often  be  found  that 
the  swelling  remains  in  a  chronic  condition.  To  induce  its 
absorption,  steady  friction  with  an  absorbent  ointment  is 
usually  successful,  as — 

ITo.  256.      Biniodide  of  mercury,  ]  drachm. 

Lard,  1  ,oz. 


Oiirb  and  Poll  Evil  237 

After  cutting  the  hair  over  the  swelling,  a  little  of  this 
may  be  rubbed  in  every  night,  until  a  free  watery  discharge 
is  produced  on  the  surface.  The  leg  should  be  fomented  with 
hot  water,  to  encourage  the  flow,  and  if  after  a  week's  time 
the  curb  has  not  disappeared,  the  ointment  should  be  aj^plied 
again  in  a  similar  manner. 

POLL  EVIL. 

Definition.  —  A  fistulous  ulcer,  situated  immediately  be- 
tiind  the  ears  of  the  horse. 

Cause. — Poll  evil  is  caused  by  accidental  violence,  or  more 
frequently  by  the  use  of  a  tight,  bearing  rein. 

Symptoms. — In  its  first  stage,  it  is  a  soft  tumor,  surrounded 
by  a  tender  swelling,  with  stiffness  of  the  neck.  Later,  it 
breaks  externally,  and  forms  a  deep  ulcer  or  abscess,  discharg- 
ing unhealthy,  ill-smelling  matter.  The  fistula  may  extend 
deep  into  the  structures  of  the  neck,  sometimes  even  to  the 
neck  bone,  and  the  joint  between  the  head  and  the  neck,  caus- 
ing intense  suffering.  In  such  cases,  if  a  probe  is  inserted 
and  pushed  carefully  along  the  track  of  the  fistula,  the  bone 
can  be  felt  at  its  bottom. 

Treatment. — If  seen  early,  when  there  is  no  external  open- 
ing, the  horse  should  have  a  moderate  purge,  and  the  part  be 
kept  wet  with  cold  water  or  a  cooling  solution,  as — 

No.  257.      Tincture  of  arnica,  2  oz. 

Vinegar, 

Water,  each  1  qt. 

Lay  cloths  on  the  swelling,  and  wet  them  frequently  with  this. 

If  the  inflammation  is  overcome,  the  hardness  remaining 
can  be  dispersed  by  rubbing  with  an  ointment  of  iodine  or 
iodide  of  mercury,  as — 

No.  258.  Iodine,  1  drachm. 

Lard,  1  oz. 

Mix  for  an  ointment. 


238  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

No  attempt  should  be  made  to  open  the  swelling  unless 
pus  ean  be  distinctly  felt,  when  it  cannot  be  done  too  prompt- 
ly. A  free  cut  should  be  made,  the  wound  kept  open  for 
about  a  week,  the  part  fomented,  and  the  j)us  gently  pressed 
out. 

Often  the  case  is  first  seen  when  the  pus  has  burrowed  into 

the  neck,  making  long  fistulas  or  pipes.    Here  the  treatment 

is  difficult.    The  fistulas  must  be  freely  opened  to  their  ends 

by  a  sharp  scalpel,  the  bone  scraped,  if  diseased,  and  the 

whole  thoroughly  washed  and  syringed  every  day  with  a 

cleansing  and  stimulating  lotion,  as — 

No.  259.  Chloride  of  zinc,  30  grains. 

Water,  .     1  quart. 

Or, 

No.  260.  Tincture  of  the  chloride  of  iron,     1  oz. 

Water,  1  quart. 

When  the  joint  is  attacked,  the  case  is  desperate,  and  the 
animal  may  as  well  be  killed. 

In  less  severe  cases  setons  inserted  from  the  original  open- 
ing along  the  track  and  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  fistulas, 
and  then  brought  out  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  poll,  are 
very  successful,  and  do  away  with  the  necessity  of  using  the 
knife. 

FISTULOUS  WITHERS. 

This  injury  closely  resembles  poll  evil.  It  is  caused  by 
bruises  from  ill-fitting  saddles,  and  those  horses  are  most 
liable  to  it  who  have  high  withers. 

Symptoms. — In  the  early  stage  there  is  an  enlargement 
of  the  heads  of  the  spinous  j^rocesses  with  heat  and  tenderness. 
This  continues  and  leads  to  the  formation  of  an  abscess;  but 
as,  on  account  of  the  position  of  the  withers  at  the  top  of  the 
horse  in  standing,  the  pus  cannot  escape,  it  sinks  down- 
ward, burrowing  in  between  the  skin  and  the  muscles,  or 


Fistulous   Withers.  239 

among  the  muscles  themselves  which  connect  the  shoulder 
blade  with  the  trunk.  Consequently,  the  inflammation  ex- 
tends, there  is  serious  lameness  of  the  shoulder,  and  the 
animal  suffers  generally. 

Treatment. — In  the  early  stage,  the  spinous  processes,  as 
soon  as  they  are  noticed  to  be  inflamed,  must  be  protected 
from  pressure  and  dressed  with  cooling  lotions.  Later,  when 
it  is  evident  that  pns  is  formed,  by  the  fluctuating  feel  of  the 
abscess,  it  should  be  freely  opened  by  an  incision  as  low  down 
as  possible  on  the  right  side,  as  most  horses  lie  down  on  that 
side,  and  the  escape  of  the  pus  is  thus  favored.  The  abscess 
sliould  be  syringed  with  carbolic  acid  water  (1  to  2  ),  and 
dressed  with  a  carbolic  acid  salve  (1  to  8),  or  petroleum. 

In  older  cases,  where  a  fistula  has  already  formed,  running 
down  into  the  shoulder,  careful  search  should  be  made  for 
its  lowest  poach  which  contains  the  pus.  This  will  be  either 
before  or  behind  the  shoulder.  A  free  incision  should  be 
made  into  it,  and  the  fistula  syringed  and  dressed  as  above. 
Sometimes  a  more  active  stimulus  is  required  to  make  the 
sides  of  the  fistula  take  on  healthy  action.  A  seton  tape 
may  then  be  passed  through  the  fistula  from  end  to  end,  and 
left  there.  Or  the  folloxA^ng  injection  may  be  freely  injected 
into  every  part  of  the  fistula,  two  or  three  times  a  weak : — 

No.  261.  Cliloride  of  zinc,  1  drachm. 

Water,  1  pint. 

These  measures,  combined  with  general  tonics  and  good  care, 
will  be  quite  certain  to  bring  about  good  results. 

EOTTEK  BONE, -NECROSIS  AND  CABIES  OF  BONE. 

Definition, — A  decay  of  the  bone,  owing  to  its  death  from 
inflammation.  It  is  called  by  veterinarians  "necrosis,"  when 
it  attacks  the  shaft  or  body  of  the  bone,  and  "caries,"  when 
it  is  confined  to  its  ends,  at  the  joints  (Williams), 


240  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Causes. — These,  in  nearly  all  instances,  are  wounds  and 
injuries  of  some  kind,  or  the  result  of  the  very  severe  inflam- 
mation which  follows  them.  Thus  the  bone  is  liable  to 
decay  in  founder,  poll  evil,  after  severe  kicks,  cracked  or 
fractured  bones,  etc. 

S3^ptoms. — Severe  and  painful  inflammation  in  the  part 
is  followed  by  one  or  several  abscesses,  which  break  but  do 
not  heal,  remaining  as  fistulas.  The  discharge  at  first  may  be 
odorless,  but  after  a  time  gives  off  a  peculiar  and  very  fetid 
odor,  easily  recognized  by  one  familiar  with  it,  as  proceeding 
from  decaying  bone.  If  a  probe  is  carefully  inserted  into 
the  fistula,  and  made  to  follow  its  course,  it  will  reach  the 
decayed  bone,  and  give  a  dry  grating  feel  to  the  finger. 

Treatment. — The  most  prompt  treatment  of  necrosis, 
when  it  is  in  a  position  to  permit  of  it  conveniently,  is  to  cut 
freely  down  upon  the  decayed  bone,  scrape  it  clean  with  a 
scraper,  remove  all  loose  pieces,  wash  the  wound  with  car- 
bolic acid  water  or  De  Morgan's  chloride  of  zinc  lotion 
(No.  217),  and  treat  the  cut  like  any  other  wound. 

This  cannot  always  be  done,  for  various  reasons,  and  then 
the  next  best  procedure  is  to  open  the  fistulas  so  as  to  admit 
of  throwing  injections  to  their  bottom,  and  wash  them  out 
once  a  day,  for  a  week  or  two,  with  "Yillate's  Solution.^' 

No.  262.  Sulphate  of  zinc, 

Sulphate  of  copper,  each,         ^  oz. 

Solution  of  subacetate  of  lead,  1  oz. 

White  wine  vinegar,  6  ozs. 

Use  one  part  of  this  to  ten  of  water,  bj  means  of  a  syringe. 

The  upper  and  lower  jaws,  from  their  exposed  situation, 
and  from  the  abuse  of  the  bit  with  long  levers,  and  from  in- 
juries to  the  teeth,  and  also  the  roof  of  the  mouth,  are  parts 
especially  liable  to  caries,  the  ulcers  being  inside  the  mouth. 
The  sore  caused  is  characteristic'  There  is  a  depression,  in- 
dicating a  loss  of  substance,  which  contains  a  fungous  growth 


Diseases  of  the  Bone.  241 

of  "proud  flesh/'  which  is  not  attached  to  the  sides,  but  only 
to  the  bottom  of  the  ulcer.  There  is  a  watery  and  offensive 
discharge,  but  as  this  flows  inside  the  mouth  and  becomes 
mixed  with  the  saliva,  often  the  only  circumstance  which 
calls  attention  to  the  presence  of  the  disease  is  the  bleeding 
from  the  mouth  when  the  bit  is  in  place.  The  mouth  is  full 
of  a  slightly  bloody  pink  froth. 

This  form  of  caries  is  best  treated  by  ceasing  to  use  tlie 
bit,  and  touching  the  sore  repeatedly  with  the  nitrate  of  sil- 
ver stick,  w^hich  should  be  pushed  deeply  into  it  and  held 
for  a  second  or  tw^o.  By  judiciously  continuing  this  for  a 
few  w-eeks,  taking  care  not  to  use  the  caustic  more  than 
enough  to  keep  down  the  proud  flesh,  a  cure  can  be  effected 
without  the  necessity  of  cutting  down  and  scraping  the  bone. 
Nevertheless,  wdien  time  is  an  object,  the  latter  is  much  the 
more  expeditious  plan.  The  horse  should  be  cast,  and 
chloroformed,  the  granulations  removed  with  the  knife,  the 
dead  boue  scraped  away,  and  the  wound  swabbed  with,  the 
solution  of  chloride  of  zinc. 

FSOSTBITE. 

This  is  caused  by  prolonged  exposure  to  the  cold,  espe- 
cially by  standing  in  the  snow,  and  in  half-thawed  slush,  as 
is  so  often  the  case  in  the  cities. 

Tlie  skin  of  the  part  becomes  weaker,  turns  of  a  purple 
color,  is  easily  inflamed,  cracks,  and  discharges  a  bloody- 
looking  fluid. 

In  more  severe  and  sudden  cases  the  skin  and  underlying 
tissues  become  pale,  insensible  and  shriveled.  The  skin, 
particularly  on  the  heel,  will  slough  across  from  side  to  side, 
forming  a  deep  crack,  a  condition  familiarly  called  "cracked 
heel.'' 

Treatment. — Where  the  skin  is  unbroken,  and  the  ex- 
posure has  not  been  for  a  long  enough  time  to  destroy  the 

16 


242  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

life  of  the  part,  it  should  be  briskly  rubbed  with  snow  for 
five  or  ten  minutes.  The  foot  should  then  be  put  in  a  bucket 
of  cold  water,  and  the  friction  continued  until  there  is  a  re- 
turn of  warmth. 

The  raw  surfaces  and  sores  which  follow  on  neglected  frost- 
bite are  particularly  slow  to  heal,  on  account  of  the  dimin- 
ished vitality  of  the  tissues.  Mr.  Dun  recommends  as  a  valu- 
able application — 

No.  263.         Extract  of  belladonna,  1  to  2  drachms, 

ivub  this  up  with  an  ounce  of  the  petroleum  ointment  or  lard,  and 
apply  twice  a  day. 

It  may  advantageously  be  combined  as  follows  :- — 

No.  284.  Extract  of  belladonna,  1  drachm. 

Ointment  of  red  oxide  of  mercury,     1  oz. 
Kub  together  and  apply  daily  to  the  ulcerated  patches. 

BURNS  AND  SCALDS. 

These  are  quite  common  in  horses  employed  about  iron 
works,  factories  and  steam  mills. 

In  all  severe  cases  there  is  fever,  often  preceded  by  shiv- 
ering, coldness  of  the  ears  and  legs,  prostration  of  strength, 
and  a  c|uick  and  feeble  pulse.  The  surface  of  the  burned  part 
will  become  pale  and  leathery,  or  will  crack,  and  a  watery 
discharge  will  flow  from  it.  Swelling  and  inflammation 
come  next,  and  an  eflbrt  of  nature  is  made  to  separate  the  dead 
from  the  living  tissues  by  suppuration. 

The  most  troublesome  burns  in  horses  are  about  the  shoul- 
der and  elbow,  as,  owing  to  the  continual  motion  of  these 
parts,  a  wound  upon  them  is  very  slow  to  heal. 

Treatmenti — The  traditional  treatment  of  burns  is,  to 
smear  them  over,  several  times  a  day,  with  what  is  called 
Carron  oil.     It  is  made  as  follows  : — 

No.  265.  Lime  water, 

Linseed  oil,  equal  parts. 

Mix,  and  apply  direct  to  the  burned  surface,  dredging  flour  over  it,  to 
thicken  it. 


Treatment  of  Burns  and  Scalds.  243 

A  still  better,  and  often  a  more  easily  obtainable,  applica- 
tion is  ordinary  bicarbonate  of  soda — baking  soda.  This  may 
be  dredged  directly  on  the  part,  or  stirred  up  with  water  to 
a  thick  paste  and  laid  over  the  burn.  The  relief  it  causes  is 
immediate. 

In  milder  burns,  a  cheap  and  very  excellent  application  is, 
to  paint  the  whole  of  the  burned  surface  with  several  thick 
coats  of  ordinary  white  lead  j^aint.  On  the  large  surfaces  of 
horses  and  cattle,  this  is  the  most  convenient  of  all  dressings. 
After  being  well  covered,  carded  cotton  should  be  laid  over 
the  paint,  and  the  whole  covered  by  a  moderately  firm  ban- 
dage. No  further  dressing  is  needed,  as  the  pain  is  at  once 
allayed,  and  the  burned  surface  heals  kindly  under  the  im- 
penetrable cover  thus  given  it. 

No.  266.      Alum,  powdered,  2  oz. 

Water,  1  pint. 

An  excellent  application  for  fresh  burns  and  scalds.  The  part 
should  be  soaked  with  it,  and  cloths  wet  with  it  applied  to  the  sur- 
face. 

When  the  parts  ulcerate,  they  should  be  well  washed  out 
with  warm  water,  with  a  little  carbolic  acid  in  it,  or  with  tar 
water,  and  the  following  dusted  over  the  surface  with  a  flour 
dredger : — 

No.  267.      Oxide  of  zinc,  1  oz. 

Starch  (or  rye  flour),  2  oz. 

Whenever  more  moisture  appears,  this  should  be  dredged 
on  again,  so  as  to  keep  the  parts  covered  with  a  thick,  dry 
crust. 

STINGS  AND  BITES. 

Hornets,  wasps  and  bees  often  attack  animals,  and  some- 
times cause  them  serious  injuries. 

Solution  of  ammonia,  or  a  weak  carbolic  acid  wash  (1  oz. 
to  a  quart  of  water),  will  promptly  relieve  the  smarting. 


244  Disease^,-  of  the  Horse, 

Lime  water,  alone  or  containing  a  clraclim  of  commercial 
carbolic  acid  to  the  pint,  is  very  soothing;    while  others 
speak  highly  of  the  oil  of  lobelia,  promptly  applied. 
HEENIA—ETJPTTJEE— BURST. 

Definition. — A  protrusion  of  any  j^ort^on  of  the  bowels, 
or  their  coverings,  through  a  rent  or  opening  in  the  walls  of 
the  abdomen. 

Causes. — Ruptures  are  quite  common  in  the  horse.  They 
are  often  seen  about  the  navel  at  birth,  and  disa^^pear  with- 
out any  treatment,  during  the  first  year  of  life.  Stallions 
are  more  liable  to  them  than  geldings.  They  may  be  owing 
to  constitutional  weakness  in  the  walls  of  the  belly;  or  to 
violent  eiiorts  and  strains  tearing  the  muscular  structure;  or 
to  kicks,  blows  and  similar  violence. 

Symptoms. — These  differ  as  to  the  part  of  the  abdominal 
wall  which  has  given  way.  There  is  usually  a  visible  tumor 
or  bulging,  which  has  a  hollow  sound  on  percussion,  and  on 
feeling  it  between  the  fingers  the  contents  are  felt  to  slip 
upon  each  other.  Often,  by  properly  directed  pressure  the 
gut  is  slipped  back  into  the  belly,  and  the  tumor  disappears, 
but  returns  as  soon  as  the  animal  makes  any  exertion. 

When  the  hernia  is  inflamed  the  tumor  is  tender,  hot  to 
the  touch,  and  there  are  signs  of  colic,  and  often  constipation. 
In  the  ruptures  which  take  place  in  stallions  when  a  part  of 
the  gut  passes  into  the  inguinal  canal,  there  are  symptoms  of 
severe  colic,  which  has  the  peculiarity  that  the  animal  seems 
relieved  of  the  pain  when  he  lies  upon  his  back,  a  position 
he  retains  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time. 

When  the  rupture  is  "  strangulated,"  that  is,  when  the  gut 
is  caught  and  pinched  in  a  narrow  slit  in  the  abdominal  walls, 
the  suffering  is  very  intense ;  the  body  is  covered  with  cold 
sweat,  the  animal  sighs,  the  eyes  become  bloodshot  and  the 
pupils  wide  and  staring. 


Treatment  of  Rupture,  245 

Treatment. — The  general  treatment  of  rupture  is  as 
follows : — 

"When  the  gut  can  be  returned  to  the  abdomen,  a  pad, 
such  as  a  smooth  piece  of  wood,  should  be  placed  over  the 
part,  and  kept  in  position  by  a  firm  leather  or  rubber  band- 
age, which  will  not  slip,  and  which  can  be  tightened.  This 
should  be  worn  for  months,  until  the  rent  is  healed. 

When  the  hernia  is  inflamed  and  strangulated,  the  animal 
should  be  chloroformed  to  insensibility,  and  gentle  and  re- 
peated efforts  made  to  return  the  parts.  This  will  often 
succeed  if  intelligent  and  persistent  efforts  are  iised.  When 
returned,  cold  lotions  should  be  applied,  and  a  well-fitting 
bandage. 

In  case  return  is  impossible,  and  the  distress  is  severe,  the 
skin  must  be  opened  down  to  the  sack,  taking  great  care  not 
to  cut  into  it,  and  a  blunt-pointed  bistoury  be  slipped  up  be- 
tween the  gut  and  the  edges  of  the  rent  or  slit  in  the  abdomi- 
nal walls  and  these  edges  cut  and  nicked  very  slightly, 
thus  allowing  the  gut  to  be  replaced.  This  is  a  safe,  easy 
and  successful  operation,  if  one  is  well  acquainted  with  the 
anatomy  of  the  parts ;  but  should  only  be  tried  as  a  last  re- 
sort, in  otherwise  hopeless  cases,  by  a  person  who  has  no 
special  knowledge  of  the  kind. 

CHOKING. 

This  accident  is,  in  the  horse,  usually  caused  by  some  arti- 
cle of  food,  as  a  potatoe,  apple,  or  piece  of  dry  fodder,  lodg- 
ing in  the  gullet.  A  common  substance  in  England  to  cause 
choking  is  an  Qgg^  many  grooms  there  having  the  absurd 
idea  that  an  egg  given  whole  has  a  beneficial  effect  on  the 
horse's  condition. 

The  symptoms  in  choking  are  violent  efforts  at  swallowing, 
with  the  throat  and  neck  spasmodically  drawn  up.  Some- 
times the  offending  substance  is  visible  to  the  eye,  or  to  be 


246  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

felt  by  the  hand  passed  down  the  front  of  the  neck.  Should 
the  animal  try  to  swallow,  the  fluid  is  returned  by  the  nos- 
trils. There  are  coughing,  slavering,  a  look  of  great  dis- 
tress in  the  face,  cold  sweats  and  exhaustion. 

Treatment. — Whenever  the  obstacle  can  be  reached  with 
'the  hand  or  with  a  pair  of  forceps,  it  is  to  be  withdrawn 
through  the  mouth.  The  tongue  should  be  pulled  well  out 
of  the  mouth,  and  this  kept  well  opened,  while  the  operator 
removes  the  substance. 

When  this  cannot  be  done,  and  the  object  can  be  felt  from 
the  outside,  it  is  to  be  loosened  by  being  gently  pushed  up- 
ward and  downward.  Sometimes  this  maneuver  can  be  aided 
by  having  the  animal  swallow  some  sweet  oil.  This,  or  some 
other  fluid  should  always  be  used  if  the  object  is  dry,  as  fod- 
der, chaff,  etc. 

If  this  plan  fails  also,  it  becomes  necessary  to  use  a  probang 
and  push  the  offending  substance  down  into  the  stomach. 
This  is  a  difficult  job  in  the  horse,  though  much  less  so  in 
cattle.     The  following  rules  should  be  observed : — 

Directions  for    Using  the  Prohang. 

1.  Kaise  the  animal's  nose  so  that  the  mouth  and  throat 
are  in  a  straight  line. 

2.  Keep  the  neck  straight. 

3.  Push  the  j^robang  gently  down  the  gullet,  taking  care 
not  to  injure,  still  less  to  enter,  the  windpipe. 

4.  When  the  end  of  the  probang  reaches  the  object,  do 
not  push  strong  upon  it,  but  gently,  and  for  but  a  few  seconds 
at  a  timo,  then  again  after  a  few  seconds  of  rest. 

In  cases  where  the  object  is  so  solidly  caught  in  the  gullet 
that  even  the  probang  fails,  the  next  resource  is  to  cut  down 
upon  it  and  remove  it.  An  assistant  presses  the  off  side  of 
the  neck,  so  as  to  make  it  bulge  as  much  as  possible  on  the 


operation  for  Choking.  247 

near  side  where  the  operator  stands.  The  latter,  with  one 
bold  cut  of  a  sharp  knife,  divides  the  skin  gullet  and 
tissues  down  to  the  offending  substance,  making  a  cut  long 
enough  to  remove  it.  This  should  be  promptly  done,  and  the 
edges  of  the  cut  brought  together  and  stitched,  first,  the  walls 
of  the  gullet,  with  fine  thread  (or  better  with  catgut),  and 
over  them  the  skin.  For  several  days,  or  a.  week,  the  ani- 
mal should  have  only  milk  and  water,  or  thin  slops.  But 
it  should  be  added  that  this  operation  is  often  followed  by  a 
permanent  narrowing  or  stricture  of  the  gullet,  which  may 
prevent  the  use  of  solid  food  for  the  rest  of  the  animaFs  life. 


248  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

CHAPTER  X. 


DISEASES   OF   THE   EYES. 

Inflammation  of  the  Eyes — Conjunctivitis, 
Periodio  Ophthalmia — Moon  Blindness, 
White  Spot — Eye  Spot — Albugo, 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  EYES— CONJUNCTIVITIS. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  outer  covering  of  the 
eye-ball,  and  the  lining  membrane  of  the  eyelids. 

Causes. — These  may  be  the  stroke  of  a  whip,  a  blow,  a 
cold,  or  some  foreign  substance  getting  into  the  eye  and  irri- 
tating it. 

Symptoms. — The  eyelids  are  swollen,  and  partly  closed^ 
and  the  tears  flow  down  the  cheeks.  If  the  eyelids  are  turned 
uj),  their  lining  membrane  will  be  found  red  and  bloodshot, 
the  surface  of  the  eye  itself  also  red,  and  the  pupil  dull  look- 
ing, while  there  may  be  the  signs  of  some  injury  visible,  or 
of  some  irritating  substance. 

Treatment. — Of  course  the  first  step  is  to  remove  any 
splinter,  hay  seed,  piece  of  chaff  or  other  substance  visible  in 
the  eye.  A  strong  feather  is  often  convenient  for  this  pur- 
pose, or  a  small  pair  of  forceps.  If  there  is  very  much  in- 
flammation, it  is  well  to  take  blood  from  the  angular  veiji, 
which  is  seen  traversing  the  face,  immediately  below  the  eye. 
The  organ  can  then  be  covered  with  soft  cloths,  and  these 
repeatedly  wet  with  clean  cool  water. 

Should  the  inflammation  or  the  injury  be  so  severe  that  it 
lias  involved  the  inner  structures  of  the  eye,  great  advantage 
V.  ill  be  derived  from  smearing  the  eyebrows  and  outside  of 
the  eyelids  with — 


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250  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Symptoms. — The  disease  derives  its  name  of  ^^  moon  blind- 
ness;*' because  the  attacks  come  on  suddenly  and  g-enerally  at 
nio4it.  As  it  is  considered  incurable,  and  vet  between  the 
attacks,  wliich  usually  last  for  a  vreek  or  two^  the  horse  can 
see  tolerably  well,  it  is  of  chief  importance  to  be  able  to  re- 
coornize  the  sians  of  the  liabilitv  to  it. 

Mr.  Percival  says  tliat  vhen  a  horse  j^i'^^ents  several  of 
the  following  symptoms,  he  is  probably  subject  to  the  dis- 
ease: — A  sunken  or  dull  look  of  one  eye  compared  to  the 
other;  prominence  of  the  winking  membrane;  pinkness  of 
the  white  of  the  eye ;  a  watery  state  of  the  eye ;  dimness  or 
cloudiness  of  the  pupil,  especially  at  its  edges,  and  dullness 
or  discoloration  of  the  center ;  the  pupil  of  one  eye  smaller 
than  that  of  the  other;  haziness,  milkiness,  or  a  small  white 
speck  to  be  seen  in  the  pttpil ;  a  wrinkled  or  furrowed  ap- 
pearance of  the  upper  lid  or  eyebrtjw.  "Where  any  two  or 
three  of  these  are  found,  the  horse  is  probably  liable  to  moon 
blindness. 

To  examine  an  eye  for  cataract,  the  horse's  head  shoidd 
be  turned  away  from  a  strong  light,  the  eye  shaded  with  a 
black  hat,  and  if  necessary  the  eye  dilated  by  rubbing  some 
belladonna  on  the  lid. 

Treatment. — !Moonblindness  is  at  times  no  douln  of  ma- 
larial origin,  as  we  might  judge  from  its  periodic  character, 
and  in  all  cases  a  full  and  early  trial  should  be  made  of  the 
specific  remedies  for  malarial  diseases,  especially  Peruvian 
bark  or  quinine  and  arsenic. 

Xo.  275.  Powdered  Peruvian  bark,  ^r  '^^• 

Sulphate  of  iron,  1  drachm. 

Give  twice  or  three  times  a  dav,  and  double  the  dose  when  the  attack 
is  expected. 

The  French  veterinary  surgeons  claim  many  ctires  by  this 
method.  Arsenic  can  be  given,  as  Fowler's  solution  of  ar- 
senic, an  ounce  once  a  day  in  the  water  for  several  weeks, 
suspending  a  few  days  now  and  then. 


Moonhlindness,  251 

When  this  fails,  and  we  are  forced  back  to  tlie  rheumatic 
theory  of  the  affection,  we  should  attack  it  with  a  steady 
course  of  iodide  of  potash  constitutionally,  keeping  down  the 
inflammation  of  the  eye  by  belladonna  ointment  and  eye 
washes,  as  recommended  on  page  249. 

The  old  practitioners  taught  that  moon  blindness  is  due  to 
the  presence  of  the  "wolf  teeth,"  and  their  first  step  in  the 
treatment  was  to  extract  them.  This  notion  does  not  receive 
any  countenance  from  the  modern  school ;  but  no  harm  can 
be  done,  by  following  the  traditions  in  this  respect;  and  in 
human  surgery  the  close  sympathy  of  the  teeth  and  the  eyes 
is  often  observed. 

WHITE  SPOT— EYE  SPOT— ALBTTGO. 

Definition. — A  bluish  or  pearly  white  spot  on  the  pupil  of 
the  eye,  the  result  of  inflammation,  and  generally  causino- 
some  defect  of  sight. 

These  spots  are  blemishes  which  detract  considerably  from 
th^  value  of  horses,  more  often  than  they  should  do,  for  they 
may  interfere  little  or  none  with  the  sight. 

Some  veterinarians  attempt  to  remove  them  by  blowing 
irritating  matters  through  a  quill  into  the  eye.  This  rude 
and  barbarous  plan  does  generally  more  harm  than  good. 
They  never  entirely  disappear,  but  they  may  be  lessened  by 
occasional  light  touches  with  a  stick  of  nitrate  of  silver. 


252  Diseases  of  the  Horse, 

CHAPTER    XI. 

DISEASES    OF    THE    SKIN. 

Iiingwo7"m. 

Nettle  Rash — Surfeit —  Urticaria. 

Moist  Tetter — Humid  Tetter — Eczema. 

Mallenders  and  Sallenders — Psoriasis  of  the  Carpus  and  the 

Tarsus. 

Warbles —  Grubs — Sitfasts. 

Ilange — Itch. 

Lice. 

KINGWORM. 

There  are  two  forms  of  ringworm  in  the  horse,  the  one 
known  by  surgeons  as  herpes ^  which  is  an  affection  of  slight 
importance  and  not  contagious;  the  other  called  tinea  which 
is  contagious,  obstinate  and  disfiguring. 

Herpes  is  characterized  by  an  eruption  of  small  blisters  the 
size  of  a  grain  of  w^heat,  on  inflamed  patches  of  skin  which 
assume  a  circular  form.  It  is  usually  owing  to  indigestion, 
or  being  shut  up  in  a  railroad  car,  or  the  hold  of  a  ship  in 
close  or  foul  apartments. 

Contagious  ringworm  is,  on  the  contrary,  found  on  well- 
cared-for  animals  as  well  as  neglected  ones.  It  attacks  and 
destroys  the  hairs,  leaving  patches  of  baldness  usually  of  a 
circular  form,  the  surface  of  the  patch  being  covered  with 
fine,  white,  bran-like  scales.  The  hairs  around  the  edges  first 
become  dry  and  brittle,  and  then  break  off,  and  then  the 
patch  gradually  extends.  This  form  of  ringworm  is  owing 
to  a  minute  parasite  on  the  skin,  supposed  to  be  a  plant. 

Treatment. ^For  simple  ringworms  or  herpes,  it  is  enough 
to  bathe  the  parts  with  a  sugar  of  lead  lotion,  as : 

No.  276.        Acetate  of  lead,  i  oz. 

Water,  1  pt. 


Treatment  of  Ringioorm.  253 

And  to 'give  the  horse  a  smart  purge.  After  this  tonics  will 
be  required  (as  Xo.  20)  if  the  horse  is  weak  and  out  of 
condition ;  and  if  there  are  scratches  and  small  ulcers  on  the 
patch  it  should  be  rubbed  with  a  stimulating  ointment,  as, 

No.  277.         Nitrate  of  silver,  10  grs. 

Lard,  1  oz. 

When  very  obstinate,  a  blister  can  be  applied  directly  over 
the  patch  which  will  be  pretty  sure  to  effect  a  cure. 

The  treatment  of  the  contagious  or  branny  variety  con- 
sists in  first  washing  the  patches  thoroughly  with  soft  soap 
or  weak  lye,  and  then  rubbing  them  with  the  following  oint- 
ment : — 


No.  278.         Iodine, 

Iodide  of  potash, 
Cosmoline, 

^  drachm. 
1  drachm. 
1  oz. 

Mix  for  an  ointment,  to  be  used  every  day. 

The  stable  should  be  thoroughly  cleaned  and  white- 
washed, the  harness  and  collars  washed  with  strong  soap  and 
water,  and  then  brushed  over  w^ith  a  solution  of  corrosive 
sublimate  (one  drachm  to  a  pint  of  water),  and  the  blankets 
worn  on  the  animal  boiled. 

Instead  of  the  iodine  ointment  we  may  paint  the  part  with 
the  following,  which  is  highly  recommended  by  Mr.  Dun  : 

No.  279.  Carbolic  acid,  1  part, 

Acetic  acid,  20  parts. 

Mix  for  local  use. 

Or  with  tincture  of  the  chloride  of  iron ;  or. 

No.  280.  Corrosive  sublimate,  2  grs. 

Water,  1  oz. 


254  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

NETTLE  RASH— SUREEIT— URTICARIA. 

This  is  a  frequent  form  of  skin  disease  in  the  horse,  and 
consists  of  an  eruption  of  small  elastic  lumps,  roundish  or 
oblong  in  shape,  and  attended  with  itching. 

The  lumps  rise  quickly  and  upon  the  greater  part  of  the 
body,  generally  beginning  upon  the  neck,  and  frequently 
disappearing  as  suddenly  as  they  come.  They  are  unequal  in 
size,  some  no  larger  than  grains  of  wheat,  others  as  large  as 
beans,  and  flattened  upon  the  surface. 

The  most  singular  feature  of  this  eruption  is  the  sudden- 
ness of  its  appearance.  Sometimes  it  will  break  out  over  all 
parts  of  the  body  in  a  few  minutes ;  and  it  will  disappear 
with  equal  promptness. 

The  cause  of  the  disease  is  some  disturbance  of  the  diges- 
tion ;  it  often  appears  in  horses  when  they  are  first  turned 
out  to  grass  in  the  spring ;  and  sometimes  a  draught  of  cold 
water  when  they  are  heated  will  bring  it  out  on  those  pre- 
disposed to  it.     It  entails  no  serious  consequences. 

Treatment. — As  a  rule  all  that  is  necessary  is  to  give  a 
mild  purge,  and  to  relieve  the  itching  bathe  the  eruption 
with  a  wash  of  sugar  of  lead  (one  drachm  to  the  pint  of 
water). 

MOIST  TETTER— HUMID  TETTER— ECZEMA. 

This  is  a  non-contagious  skin  disease,  which  usually  be- 
gins about  the  neck,  shoulder,  back  and  thighs. 

The  onset  is  sudden,  and  the  animal  is  seen  to  rub  and 
scratch  himself  to  relieve  itchino;.  On  examination  the  skin 
is  found  to  be  red  and  inflamed,  often  scratched  and  torn  by 
the  efforts  of  the  animal.  Small  blisters  or  vesides  w^ill  bo 
noticed  on  portions  of  the  skin  not  lacerated  by  these  efforts, 
which  eruptions  break  and  discharge  a  watery  fluid,  keeping 
the  surface  moist. 


Tetter,  •     255 

As  a  rule,  it  is  a  summer  disease,  and  some  horses  have  a 
return  of  it  season  after  season ;  and  it  is  often  difficult  to 
assign  any  other  cause  for  it  than  that  it  is  constitutional. 

Nearly  always  this  kind  of  tetter  is  confounded  with  the 
mange,  which  it  very  closely  resembles  in  appearance ;  but 
it  differs  from  it  in  two  important  particulars,  first,  that  it  is 
not  contagious,  and  secondly,  that  it  is  not  caused  by  an  in- 
sect. 

Treatment.— This  should  be  begun  with  a  change  of  diet 
and  a  purge  of  aloes.  If  after  the  purge,  the  bowels  are 
found  to  be  irregular,  and  feces  ill  smelling,  it  is  well  to  give 
the  following : — 

No.  281.      Bisulphite  of  soda,  1  oz. 

Powdered  gentian,  J  oz. 

Make  a  ball,  to  give  night  and  morning. 

The  most  effectual  internal  remedy  is  arsenic.  This  can 
be  advantageously  given,  as  Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic,  one 
ounce  once  or  twice  a  day. 

For  the  treatment  of  the  eruption  itself,  it  is  necessary  first 
to  remove  the  scabs  and  crusts,  by  first  soaking  the  parts 
with  sweet  oil  for  a  few  hours,  then  washing  with  soap  and 
water.  If  the  hair  is  long,  it  must  be  clipped,  and  all  dust 
and  dirt  removed.  Then  the  whole  of  the  diseased  surface, 
and  a  large  space  of  the  healthy  skin  around,  should  be  cov- 
ered with  the  following : — 

Ko.  282.      Flour  of  sulphur,  Jib. 

Carbonate  of  potash,  \  lb. 

Carbolic  acid,  1  oz. 

Lard, 

Olive  oil,  each  2  lbs. 
Mix  thoroughly  with  the  aid  of  gentle  heat. 

This  is  to  be  left  on  the  skin  two  or  three  days,  and  then 
washed  off  with  strong  soap  and  water. 


256  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Another  very  useful,  clieap  and  handy  remedy  is  tar  oint- 
ment, made  as  follows  : — 

No.  283.      Tar, 

Lard,  equal  parts. 

Mix  well  together. 
This  should  be  used  in  the  same  manner  as  above. 
For  this  and  other  itching  skin  disorders,  the  following  Is 
an  excellent  combination : — 

No.  284.      Soft  soap, 
Tar, 
Alcohol  (or  whiskey),  equal  parts. 

Used  for  painting  on  the  parts  twice  a  daj. 

3SIALLENDEIIS  AND  SALLENDEES— PSOEIASIS  OF  THE  CARPUS  AND 
THE  TASSUS. 

This  is  a  common  and  troublesome  disease  of  the  skin  above 
the  feet  in  horses.  At  first  it  generally  begins  very  much  as  a 
moist  tetter  (eczema),  but  as  the  eruption  becomes  persistent, 
the  discharge  of  watery  fluid  dries  up,  and  the  parts  become 
covered  with  hard  crusts  and  scabs. 

Horses  which  are  otherwise  healthy  are  most  liable  to  the 
disease,  and  it  d(k2  not  extend  beyond  the  bends  of  the 
limbs.  But  the  eruptions  are  unsightly,  they  sometimes 
crack  and  inflame,  and  therefore  they  lower  *Ji^  value  of  the 
animal.  Unfortunately,  it  is  by  no  means  an  easy  matter  to 
cure  them. 

Treatment. — If  there  is  indigestion  or  constipation,  the 
food  of  the  animal  should  be  carefully  regulated,  and  he 
should  have  a  moderate  purge.  Next,  he  should  have  with 
his  drink  an  ounce  of  Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic,  once  or 
twice  a  day. 

The  sore  spots  shoidd  be  washed  thoroughly  w^ith  soap 
and  warm  water,  touched  lightly  with  a  stick  of  nitrate  of 
silver  to  freshen  them  up,,  and  covered  with  pure  wood  tar. 
This  procedure  should  be  repeated  twice  a  week,  and  may  be 
said  to  be  a  "  sure  cure." 


Mallenders  and  Sallenders.  257 

Many  ointments  are  recommended,  of  which  we  may  men- 
tion that  of  Mr.  Youatt : — 

No.  285.      Acetate  of  lead,  1  oz. 

Tar,  2  oz. 

Lard,  6  oz. 

Mix,  and  apply  to  the  part.  Give  a  diuretic  dose  occasionally,  to  act 
on  tlie  system. 

Another  application  is  : — 


No.  286. 
Mix  for  an 

Powdered  red  precipitate, 
Lard, 

ointment. 

2  drachms. 
2  ozs. 

Or, 

No.  287. 

Powdered  camphor, 
Acetate  of  lead, 
Mercurial  ointment. 

1  drachm. 
^  drachm, 
loz. 

For  an  ointment,  to  be  applied  after  washing  with  soap  and  water. 
WARBLES— GRUBS— SITFASTS. 

These  names  are  all  applied  to  different  forms  of  the  skin 
disease,  known  to  physicians  as  acne.  It'  is  characterized  by 
the  j)resence  of  small  hard  lumps  beneath  the  skin,  origin- 
ating in  swelling  of  the  glands  at  the  root  of  the  hair.  They 
are  especially  frequent  on  the  withers,  back  and  neck,  and  at 
the  root  of  the  mane  and  tail.  They  are  more  often  found 
in  the  spring  of  the  year,  and  on  parts  of  the  skin  which  are 
chafed  by  the  harness. 

The  tops  of  these  inflamed  follicles  suppurate  or  become 
rubbed  off,  leading  to  small  ulcers,  slow  to  heal,  and  of  an 
angry  appearance.  Where  constantly  irritated  by  the  har- 
ness or  saddle  they  may  mortify, and  the  skin  assume  a  hard, 
horny  or  leathery  appearance  in  the  center,  with  an  inflamed 
ring  around  the  whitish  central  patch.  This  is  familiarly 
known  as  a  '^sitfast'^  on  account  of  the  difficulty  experienced 
in  its  removal. 

17 


258  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Treatment. — In  the  simple  varieties,  where  the  pimples 
are  ulcerating,  the  repeated  application  of  poultices  is  very 
useful.  Internally,  the  animal  should  have  an  ounce  of 
sulphur  mixed  with  his  feed  every  morning.  Sometimes  this 
plan  fails,  and  then  it  is  well  to  rub  the  sores  with  a  stimu- 
lating ointment,  one  of  the  best  of  which  is  that  of  the 
iodide  of  mercury  (No.  239). 

For  the  treatment  of  sitfast  the  only  satisfactory  method 
is  carefully  to  dissect  out  the  hard,  dead  piece  of  skin  in  the 
center  of  the  ulcer,  and  dress  the  whole  with  a  mild  carbolic 
acid  ointment,  as, 

No.  288.  Carbolic  acid,  1  drachm. 

Lard,  3  ozs. 

Mix  and  apply  on  rags. 

Or,  cover  the  wound  with  crude  petroleum.     Blisters  and 
caustic,  recommended  by  some,  are  of  no  use. 

Sometimes  they  can  be  softened  by  the  following  oint- 
ment : 

Ko.  289.         Gum  ammoniac,  4  ozs. 

Mercurial  ointment,  8  ozs. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  10  ozs. 
Mix  with  gentle  heat  and  apply  on  rags. 

MANGE— ITCH. 

Of  all  skin  diseases  on  the  lower  animals,  this  is  by  far  the 
most  frequent,  and  by  far  the  most  to  be  dreaded,  on  account 
of  its  contagiousness.  Any  animal  that  has  it  should  be  shut 
off  from  others  and  active  measures  taken  to  clean  thoroughly 
every  blanket,  every  piece  of  harness,  brush,  curry-comb  or 
other  utensil  that  has  touched  him. 

The  mano^e  or  itch  is  characterized  in  all  its  forms  bv  itch- 
ing,  scurfiness,  thinness  and  loss  of  the  hair  on  the  affected 
part,  and  a  surface  torn  and  lacerated  by  scratching  and  rub- 
bing, moist  from  a  flow  of  thin,  watery  matter,  or  covered 
with  scabs  and  crusts,  caused  by  the  drying  of  this  exuda- 


Mange  or  Itch,  259 

tion,  and  the  presence  of  dust,  dirt  and  skin  scales  becoming 
entangled  and  matted  in  the  hairs.  The  parts  of  the  animal 
most  frequently  attacked  are  the  legs,  and  the  sides  and  upper 
border  of  the  neck,  and  the  root  of  the  tail. 

The  cause  of  the  mange  is  the  presence  of  insects,  which 
live  in  or  upon  the  skin,  and  find  their  food  in  the  watery 
discharge  which  their  bites  cause  to  flow  forth.  These  in- 
sects are  of  several  species  on  each  animal,  some  living  on, 
some  in  the  skin.  They  are  hardly  visible  to  the  naked  eye, 
and  are  often  very  difficult  to  point  out  when  present.  They 
have  been  named  and  described  by  naturalists,  but  it  is  not 
necessary  for  practical  purposes  that  we  should  enter  into  an 
explanation  of  their  forms  and  habits.  The  symptoms  they 
cause,  and  the  treatment  they  require,  are  similar  or  the 
same. 

Treatment. — In  all  cases  the  utmost  precautions  should 
be  taken,  as  above  stated,  to  prevent  the  disease  spreading. 
As  an  application  to  the  mangy  spots,  many  prefer  the  old- 
fashioned  sulphur  ointment : — 

No.  290.      Flour  o«f  sulphur,  ^  lb. 

Lard,  1  lb. 

Mix  thoroughly,  and  apply  once  or  twice  daily,  rubbing  it  in  well. 

As  a  sulphur  wash  of  a  very  effectual  nature,  the  follow- 
ing will  be  found  valuable  : — 

No.  291.      Flour  of  sulphur,  2  lbs. 

Quick  lime,  1  lb. 

Water,  2  gallons. 

Boil  together,  stirring  until  the  ingredients  are  combined.     Bathe  the 
parts  with  it  several  times  a  day. 

For  horse  mange  some  prefer  ointment  of  stavesacre  made 
as  follows : — 


No.  292.      Powdered  stavesacre, 
Lard, 
Olive  oil, 

2oz. 
8  oz. 
loz. 

Mix  at  a  gentle  heat. 

260  Diseases  of  the  Horse. 

Whatever  remedy  is  applied,  the  parts  should  first  be  oiled 
and  washed  with  warm  soap  and  water,  to  nemove  the  crusts, 
dirt  and  scabs,  before  the  ointment  is  applied,  or  otherwise 
it  will  not  reach  the  insects,  especially  the  varieties  which 
burrow  into  the  skin. 

As  a  serviceable  mange  dressing,  Mr.  Finlay  Dun  speaks 
well  of — 


No.  293.      Iodine, 

Iodide  of  potash, 

Tar, 

Lard, 

h  oz. 
^  oz. 
1  oz. 
8oz. 

Mix  for  an  ointment. 

No.  294.      White  hellebore, 

Tobacco,  each  2  ok. 

Water,  3  pints. 

Boil,  strain,  and  when  cold  add  a  pint  of  fresh  lime  water. 

Ko.  295.      Flour  of  sulphur. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  each  4  oz. 

Tar,  8  oz. 

Wash  the  parts  with  soft  soap,  dry  them,  and  apply  the  above. 

LICE. 

Poor,  half-starved  and  old  animals  are  very  liable  to  be- 
come lousy.  This  is  best  treated  by  clipping  them,  giving 
them  good  food  and  tonics,  and  washing  the  skin  with  a  de- 
coction of  stavesacre : — 

No.  296.      Powdered  stavesacre  seed,  2  oz. 

Water,  1  quart, 

Boil  for  twenty  minutes. 

Care  should  be  taken  that  the  animal  does  not  lick  this 
from  the  skin. 

Horses  which  are  stabled  in  hen-roosts  are  liable  to  be  at- 
tacked with  chicken  lice,  which  produce  an  intense  itching, 
sometimes  setting  the  poor  beast  nearly  frantic.  The  treat- 
ment  is  to  remove  the  chickens,  whitewash  the  stable,  and 


Receipts  to  Destroy  Lice.  261 

wash  the  horse  with  a  decoction  of  tobacco  or  of  stavesacre 
(No.  296),  or  rub  with  this  mixture  :— 

No.  297.      Scotch  snuflE)  2  oz. 

Lard,  6  oz. 

Mix  well  together. 

Hot  water  poured  on  crude  petroleum,  well  stirred  and 
allowed  to  settle ;  or  poured  on  quick  lime,  4  oz.  to  the  gal- 
lon, will  destroy  these  parasites.  The  following  is  also  an 
excellent,  but  poisonous  preparation  : — 

No.  298.      Bruised  cocculus  indicus  berries,        2  oz. 

Boiling  water.  1  gallon. 

With  this  the  skin  and  hair  may  be  thoroughly  mopped. 

No.  299.      Calomel,  1  drachm. 

Petroleum  ointment,  1  oz. 

This  both  allays  the  irritation  of  the  skin  and  destroys  the 
vermin. 

No.  300.      Corrosive  sublimate^  3  to  6  grains. 

Petroleum  ointment,  1  oz. 

A  very  efficient,  but  poisonous  remedy. 

No.  301.      Oil  of  turpentine,  1  part. 

Olive  oil,  3  parts. 

Mix  for  an  ointment. 


JERSEY  COW,  "TURNBRIDGE  WELLS." 


JERSEY  COW.  "GREY  PRINCESS  FANNY. 


PART  III. 


Diseases  of  Cattle,  Sheep  and  Swine. 


INTRODUCTORY. 

General  Remarhs  on  the  Diseases  of  Cattle^  and  their  Treat- 
ment. 
Peculiarities  of  the  Action  of  Medicines  on  Cattle. 

There  are  a  number  of  diseases  which  in  general  outline 
and  management  are  nearly  or  quite  the  same  in  the  two 
large  quadrupeds,  the  horse  and  the  ox.  As  previously 
noted,  (page  83),  a  number  of  these  will  be  found  discussed 
under  the  Diseases  of  the  Horse.  There  remains,  however, 
a  large  class  of  maladies  which  are  either  peculiar  to  cattle, 
or  present  peculiar  traits  in  them,  which  demand  separate 
discussion ;  and  to  these  this  Part  will  be  devoted,  as  also  to 
the  consideration  of  the  less  known,  though  really  not  less 
interesting,  sicknesses  of  sheep  and  swine.  We  begin  with 
some 

GENERAL   REMARKS    ON    THE    DISEASES    OF    CATTLE,   AND 
THEIR  TREATMENT. 

The  purposes  for  which  cattle  have  been  domesticated,  and 
their  characteristics  as  ruminating  animals,  lead  to  several 

(263) 


264  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

peculiarities  in  the  diseases  to  which  they  are  subject,  and 
the  effect  of  medicines  upon  them. 

Unlike  the  horse,  they  are  never  prized  for  their  speed,  so 
that  lamenesses  and  disorders  of  the  "  wind  "  are  much  less 
frequent  and  less  important ;  unlike  him  again,  their  food  is 
not  regulated  to  insure  the  utmost  muscular  power  with  the 
least  accumulation  of  fat,  but  just  the  reverse.^  Cattle  are 
naturally  plethoric,  slow  of  motion,  and  averse  to  much  ex- 
ercise ;  and  as  they  are  generally  under  a  stimulating  and 
forcing  system  of  diet,  they  become  peculiarly  subject  to  all 
those  diseases  which  are  brought  on  by  excessive  richness  of 
the  blood. 

Their  tolerance  of  disease  is  also  much  less  than  that  of 
the  horse.  They  do  not  bear  pain  with  nearly  so  much  for- 
titude as  that  nobler  animal ;  and  when  continued  for  some 
time,  it  preys  upon  them  speedily  and  injuriously,  as  may 
constantly  be  seen  in  painful  foot  affections.  Moreover,  theii 
courage  to  bear  suffering  is  but  little,  and  they  readily  yield 
to  despair  and  become  indifferent  to  life.  Often  they  refuse 
to  rise  when  perfectly  able  to  do  so,  and  require  energetic 
measures  to  force  them  on  their  feet.  For  this  reason  also 
they  demand  tonic  medicines  more  freely  and  earlier  after 
acute  disease  than  is  necessary  in  the  horse. 

Another  result  of  this  lesser  vitality  is  their  proneness  to 
local  disease-producing  influences.  It  is  well  known  that 
they  do  not  thrive  well  and  are  more  subject  to  diseases  when 
pastured  in  low-lying,  swampy  fields,  and  on  rank  grass. 
Epidemics  are  both  numerous  and  destructive  among  them. 
Indeed,  contains  and  infectious  maladies  of  various  kinds 
are  by  far  the  most  dreaded  of  all  forms  of  disease  with 
them,  and  have  repeatedly  desolated  the  herds  of  whole  con- 
tinents. Even  the  accident  of  abortion  in  pregnancy  puts 
on  an  epidemic  form  in  cows,  and  is  a  source  of  frequent 
anxiety  to  possessors  of  dairies. 


Peculiar  Diseases,  ^  265 

The  richness  of  the  blood  and  general  plethora  predispose 
them  to  glandular  swellings,  ulcers,  and  especially  mortifica- 
tion and  gangrene.  It  is  an  acknowledged  fact  that  although 
the  flesh  of  the  bullock  is  one  of  the  most  esteemed  foods  of 
the  human  species,  there  is  no  animal  in  which  gangrenous 
ulcers  and  malignant  forms  of  carbuncular  disease  are  so 
numerous  or  so  destructively  poisonous. 

The  gullet  of  the  ox  is  several  times  larger  than  that  of  the 
horse;  but  owing  to  the  greater  development  of  the  bones  of 
the  nose  (the  ethmoid  and  turbinated  bones),  the  pharynx,  or 
upper  part  of  the  throat  is  smaller,  and  the  windpipe  is  con-- 
siderably  less.  From  these  anatomical  differences  it  arises 
that  inflammations  of  the  upper  throat  are  much  more  liable 
to  produce  suffocation  than  they  are  in  the  horse,  and  de- 
mand, therefore,  early  and  active  attention,  or  the  perform- 
ance of  tracheotomy  more  promptly.     (See  page  112.) 

For  what  reason  has  not  been  definitely  ascertained,  true 
inflammation  of  the  lungs  (pneumonia)  is  not  nearly  so  fre- 
quent in  cattle  as  in  the  horse.  What  is  usually  so  called  in 
them  is  an  inflammation  of  the  small  air  tubes  of  the  lung, 
and  is  known  to  medical  men  as  "capillary  bronchitis/' 
Pleurisy,  on  the  other  hand,  occurs  much  oftener  than  in  the 
horse,  and  the  compound  disease  called  pleuro-pneumonia, 
where  there  is  along  with  pleurisy  scattered  masses  of  in- 
flamed tissue  in  the  lung,  is  at  times  a  malignant  epidemic. 

The  most  terrible  of  lung  diseases  in  the  human  race,  con- 
sumption or  pulmonary  phthisis,  is  hardly  known  in  horses, 
but  is  very  common  in  some  breeds  of  cattle,  and  in  milk 
cows  after  neglected  colds,  pneumonia  or  pleurisy.  It  is 
closely  associated  with  scrofula,  which  is  a  hereditary  taint 
of  the  blood,  far  more  common  in  the  best  breeds  of  cattle 
than  it  is  in  the  hog,  from  which  animal  the  name  is  derived 
(Latin,  scrofa,  a  sow). 


266  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

PECULIARITIES     OF     THE      ACTION     OF     MEDICINE     ON 
CATTLE. 

There  are  several  peculiarities  in  the  action  of  medicines 
on  cattle  which  the  veterinarian  takes  into  account.  They 
are  chiefly  referable  to  the  construction  of  their  stomach  in 
four  divisions,  only  the  last  one  of  which  corresponds  in  its 
action  to  the  single  stomach  of  the  horse  and  of  miin.  The 
first  and  third  compartment  always  contain  food  and  in  large 
quantity,  and  until  the  medicines  have  passed  through  these 
and  have  reached  the  fourth  stomach,  they  have  little  or  no 
effect  whatever.  It  is  a  common  but  erroneous  notion,  as  has 
been  shown  by  Mr.  Finlay  Dun,  that  medicines  when  poured 
very  slowly  down  a  cow's  throat,  pass,  like  the  ruminated 
food ,  direct  to  the  fourth  stomach.  On  the  contrary,  they  pass 
through  the  first,  second  and  third  stomachs  first. 

Accordingly  it  happens,  and  not  unfrequently,  and  partic- 
ularly in  some  diseases  of  an  inflammatory  nature,  that  the 
medicines  remain  in  the  first  or  third  stomach  for  a  long 
while  after  they  are  administered.  Dose  after  dose  is  given, 
and  their  lack  of  action  is  attributed  to  the  obstinacy  of  the 
constipation  or  the  inertness  of  the  medi^iine.  At  length  the 
rumen  is  excited  to  action,  and  the  collected  doses  are  ex- 
pelled into  the  fourth  stomach  and  intestines,  exciting  violent 
and  perhaps  fatal  action. 

To  avoid  this,  tw^o  precautions  are  to  be  observed  : — 

1.  Never  give  medicine  to  cattle  in  a  soli4  form,  as  balls 
or  pills,  but  in  a  liquid  state,  as  in  drenches,  and  with  plenty 
of  water,  a  quart  or  two  at  a  time. 

2.  Always  combine  with  cattle  medicine  w^hich  is  de- 
sired to  act  promptly,  some  stimulating  and  aromatic  sub- 
stance which  will  incite  the  partly  insensible  coat  of  the 
rumen  to  action.  For  this  purpose,  ginger,  carraway  seed  in 
powder,  and  flour  of  mustard,  are  generally  preferred. 


Medicines  for  Cattle*  267 

The  dose  of  medicines  for  cattle  is  nearly  double  the 
amounts  used  for  horses,  the  formation  of  the  stomach  and 
the  phlegmatic  temperament  of  the  ox  rendering  him  not 
readily  affected  by  medicinal  substances.  Their  kidneys  and 
skin  are  less  easily  acted  on  than  the  corresponding  organs  in 
horses;  and  they  resist  the  action  both  of  stimulants  and 
tonics. 

LoDg  experience  has  given  the  preference  to  certain  drugs 
for  cattle,  different  from  those  administered  to  horses.  Thus 
aloes,  which  is  the  favorite  purgative  for  the  horse,  acts  ir- 
regularly and  feebly  in  the  ox  and  cow.  For  them  saline 
cathartics  are  altogether  preferable,  either  sulphate  of  mag- 
nesia (epsom  salt),  sulphate  of  soda  (glauber  salt),  or  com- 
mon salt;  or,  as  many  prefer,  a  mixture  of  the  three  in  equal 
parts.  A  pound  of  such  a  mixture  in  a  quart  or  two  of 
water,  with  a  teaspoonful  or  ^wo  of  essence  of  ginger,  or  a 
dash  of  cayenne  pepper,  constitutes  a  most  efficient  and  de- 
pendable purge.  Linseed  and  castor  oils,  either  of  which 
tnay  be  strengthened  by  the  addition  of  croton  oil,  are  also 
excellent  purges.  To  exert  a  continued  laxative  effect,  sul- 
phur is  a  very  useful  means. 

Mercury  in  any  form  must  be  given  to  cattle  with  greater 
caution  than  to  horses,  as,  whether  it  be  as  calomel  internally 
or  as  mercurial  ointment  rubbed  on  the  skin,  it  salivates  and 
mercurializes  them  easily.  Especially  we  would  advise  not 
using  mercury  iu  any  shape  with  milk  cows.  If  pregnant, 
they  are  more  apt  to  abort;  and  the  mercury  passing  into  the 
tissues  is  secreted  with  the  milk,  and  is  thus  conveyed  to  the 
human  race.  A  French  author  states  that  he  has  witnessed 
lambs  die  from  mercurial  poisoning,  when  the  ewes  had  been 
rubbed  with  mercurial  ointment  to  destroy  insects. 


268  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

CHAPTER    I. 

THE   COXTAGIOUS   OR   EPIDEMIC   DISEASES   OF   CATTLE. 

The  Cattle  Plague — Rinderpest — Contagious  Enteric  Fever  oj 
Cattle, 

Pleuro-Pneumonia — Contagious  Lung  Fever. 

Foot  and  Mouth  Disease — Fpizootic  Aphthae — Contagious 
Eczema, 

Charhon — Blach  Quarter — Quarter  III — Contagious  An- 
thrax— Bloody  Murrain, 

Splenic  Fever — Texas  Cattle  Disease — Spanish  Fever. 

Cow-pox — Smallpox  of  Cattle — Variola  Vaccina. 

THE  CATTLE  PLAGUE— RINDERPEST— CONTAGIOUS  ENTERIC 
FEVER  OF  CATTLE. 

Definition. — A  malignant  contagious  fever  originating  on 
the  plains  of  Asiatic  Russia,  and  conveyed  by  the  expoi-ta- 
tion  of  cattle  to  other  countries.  It  is  essentially  a  disease  of 
the  bovine  family,  but  has  been  known  to  attack  sheep,  goats 
and  deer. 

Causes. — This  formidable  disease  is  believed  to  be  owing 
to  a  specific  poison  which  is  given  off  by  the  animal  suffering 
from  it,  or  w^hich  may  be  conveyed  by  a  healthy  animal 
from  a  locality  where  the  disease  is  prevailing.  This  last  fact 
has  been  abundantly  proven,  and  is  of  prime  importance. 

Symptoms. — The  time  which  elapses  between  exposure  to 
the  poison  and  the  outbreak  of  the  disease  is  from  three  days 
to  a  week ;  and  the  course  of  the  disease  to  its  usually  fatal 
termination  is  about  a  week.  But  within  two  days  of  ex- 
posure the  fever  often  begins,  although  its  ]3resence  may  not 
be  noticed,  unless  the  thermometer  is  used. 

The  average  temperatm^e  of  a  healthy  ox  is  101°  Fahren- 


TJie  Cattle  Plague,  269 

belt.  It  has  been  found  that  when  an  animal  has  been  ex- 
posed to  the  poison  of  the  cattle  plague,  and  is  about  to  take 
the  disease,  the  thermometer  rises  to  103°  or  104°,  while  no 
other  symptom  of  disease  is  present. 

About  two  days  after  this  rise  of  the  temperature  the 
breath  becomes  ill-smelling,  and  the  mouth,  as  well  as  the 
vagina  in  cows,  will  be  found  unnaturally  red  and  hot  to  the 
touch,  and  with  a  slight  eruption  of  minute  blisters  on  its 
surface,  about  the  size  of  a  pin's  head.  These  are  both  very 
characteristic  symptoms. 

Even  at  ^his  stage  of  the  disease  a  clay  or  two  may  still 
pass  by  without  the  animal  showing  any  very  positive  signs 
of  being  sick.  But  after  the  fourth  day  from  the  beginning 
of  these  warnings  is  past,  the  constitution  is  thoroughly  satu- 
rated with  the  poison.  Then  the  head  begins  to  droop,  the 
ears  hang,  the  pulse  weakens,  the  breathing  is  difficult,  and 
there  is  a  foul  discharge  from  the  eyes,  nose  and  mouth. 

The  next  day,  usually  the  sixth,  all  these  symptoms  grow 
worse,  the  pulse  becomes  hardly  perceptible,  the  breath  is 
drawn  w^ith  effort,  and  there  is  great  weakness  in  the  limbs. 
If  now  the  temperature  is  taken  with  the  thermometer,  it 
will  be  found  below  the  natural  heat,  probably  at  96°  or 
98°  Fah. 

Death  usually  occurs  on  the  seventh  day  from  the  time  the 
temperature  first  begins  to  rise. 

Of  course,  in  different  epidemics,  and  in  different  herds, 
there  is  considerable  variation  from  the  above  description  ; 
but  they  are  those  of  degree  only,  and  it  will  serve  as  a  cor- 
rect type  of  them  all. 

•  Treatment. — There  is  but  one  treatment  for  this  terrible 
disease,  and  that  is  the  preventive  one.  When  it  appears  in 
a  country,  all  importations  of  cattle,  sheep,  or  goats  from  that 
country  should  be  positively  forbidden  by  government;  when 
it  attacks  even  a  single  steer  of  a  herd,  not  only  that  steer, 


270  -Diseases  of  Cattle. 

but  every  member  of  the  herd  should  be  slaughtered  before 
the  sun  goes  down,  and  the  most  energetic  disinfecting 
measures  be  taken  with  every  thing  about  the  premises. 

No  form  of  disease  in  the  lower  animals  is  more  fatal  and 
more  contagious  than  this ;  and  any  hesitation  in  "  stamping 
it  out "  at  the  very  first  will  entail  the  loss  of  millions  and 
millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  stock. 

Fortunately,  it  has  never  had  more  than  a  slight  foothold 
in  this  country ;  but  we  are  exposed  to  it  almost  every  year, 
and  should  be  prepared  to  deal  with  it  summarily  and  effec- 
tually when  it  is  introduced. 

Of  the  medicines  which  have  been  tried  in  its  treatment — 
and  about  all  known  to  veterinary  pharmacy  have  been  ex- 
perimented with — the  most  favorable  reports  have  been  from 
bisulphite  of  soda,  chlorate  of  potash,  sulphate  of  iron  and 
carbolic  acid,  given  by  full  and  frequent  doses  by  the  mouth 
and  by  injection  into  the  veins. 

PLEUEO-PNEUMONIA— CONTAGIOirS  LTTNCt  FEVER. 

Definition. — A  contagious  fever  of  cattle,  accompanied  by 
great  prostration,  together  with  local  inflammation  and  other 
diseased  changes  in  the  lungs  and  their  envelopes. 

Cause. — This  no  doubt  is  a  specific  blood  poison.  It  is 
often  slow  in  its  development,  several  weeks  or  even  months 
elapsing  between  the  exposure  to  the  poison  and  the  onset  of 
the  disease.  In  its  more  malignant  phases,  and  particularly 
at  the  beginning  of  an  epidemic,  it  runs  a  rapid  course,  de-* 
stroying  life  in  the  course  of  a  few  days ;  but  generally  oc- 
cupies from  four  to  six  weeks. 

Symptoms, — The  earliest  symptoms  are  apt  to  pass  un- 
noticed. The  fii'st  that  can  be  observed  is  a  rise  of  tempera- 
ture to  103°-106°,  indicated  by  the  thermometer  in  the 
rectum.     The  moment  this  is  observed  when  pleuro-pneu- 


Pleuro-Pneumonia.  271 

monia  Is  about,  the  animal  should  be  separated  from  the 
herd,  disinfectants  used,  and  a  watch  kept  for  the  next  de- 
velopments of  the  disease. 

These  are  slight  shivering  and  staring  coat ;  some  loss  of 
aj^petite ;  scanty  milk  ;  an  occasional  dry  and  hard  cough  ; 
irregular  che\ying  of  the  cud ;  bowels  rather  constipated ; 
urine  less  than  usual,  and  high  or  dark  in  color. 

These  insidious  symptoms  may  continue  several  days 
without  the  appearance  of  others  of  a  more  marked  charac- 
ter. Sometimes  there  is  tenderness  on  pressure  between  the 
ribs  over  the  lungs,  as  evinced  by  a  slight  wince  or  groan. 
The  cough  now  increases,  the  breathing  is  more  frequent, 
and  when  the  animal  stands  the  ellbows  are  turned  out,  the 
nose  is  extended,  the  back  arched,  and  the  hind  legs  drawn 
up  under  the  body.  Later  on,  there  is  a  watery  or  mattery 
discharge  from  the  eyes  and  nose,  there  is  rapid  loss  of  flesh, 
the  animal  is  hide  bound,  and  there  is  either  obstinate  con- 
stipation or  a  violent  watery  diarrhea  of  fetid  matter,  which 
rapidly  weakens  and  destroys  life. 

The  symptoms  on  percussing  over  the  lungs  are  in  the 
earlier  stages  a  clear  or  resonant  sound,  which,  as  the  disease 
advances,  gives  way  to  a  dull,  heavy  one.  On  listening  in 
the  first  stage,  a  dry,  creaking  sound  is  heard,  caused  by  the 
inflamed  surface  of  the  lung  and  its  covering  (the  pleura) 
rubbing  against  each  other.  Later,  there  are  irregular  whist- 
ling or  rough  breathing  sounds,  easily  distinguished  fromlhe 
sounds  caused  by  the  lungs  in  health. 

The  rule  is  generally  positive  that  where  both  lungs  are 
affected  the  animal  dies. 

Treatment. — It  cannot  be  said  that  the  medical  treatment 
of  pleuro-j)neumonia  is  very  satisfactory.  Many  remedies 
have  been  recommended  from  time  to  time,  but  the  use  of 
them  in  practice  has  not  met  the  expectations  created. 

Perhaps  the  most  prudent  course  is  to  put  the  animal  in 


272  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

the  best  sanitary  surroundings  possible,  and  avoid  most 
scrupulously  either  bleeding,  or  blistering,  or  putting  in 
setons.  Give  no  lowering  medicine,  neither  aconite  noi? 
tartar  emetic.  If  constipation  is  decided,  a  small  dose  of 
salts  will  remove  it. 

When  there  is  much  ^swelling  or  "  bloating  "  of  the  stom^ 
ach,  it  may  be  removed  by  carbonate  of  ammonia,  one  ounce 
in  gruel,  repeated,  if  necessary. 

The  diet  should  be  low,  and  some  writers  recommend  no 
solid  food  at  all,  but  feeding  on  thin  gruel,  linseed  tea,  or 
slippery  elm  bark  water. 

Slight  diarrhea  is  believed  often  to  be  of  advantage,  and 
should  not  be  checked ;  but  wdien  it  is  violent  it  may  be  held 
up  with  some  astringent,  as 


No.  302. 

Gallic  acid, 
Gruel, 

2  OZ. 

J  pint. 

Or, 

No.  303. 

Alum  in  powder, 
Milk, 

Joz. 
1  quart. 

"When  the  worst  of  the  attack  is  over  it  is  well  to  hasten 
the  return  to  health  by  mixing  a  teaspoonful  of  sulphate  of 
iron  with  the  food  several  times  a  day. 

]Mr.  Finlay  Dun  has  found  ounce  doses  of  the  acid  sul- 
phite of  soda,  given  twice  daily,  to  lower  the  temperature 
and  ease  the  breathing.  In  the  second  stage  of  the  disease 
he  has  also  derived  decided  benefit  by  giving,  every  three  oi 
four  hours,  one  or  two  ounces  of  whiskey  or  of  oil  of  tur- 
pentine. 

For  a  tonic  mixture  ^ir.  Jekyll  recommends : — 

No.  304.  Sulphate  of  copper,  1  part. 

Water,  4  parts. 

Dissolve  and  add  solution  of  ammonia  until  it  begins  to  precipitate. 

The  dose  is  half  an  ounce  every  six  or  eight  hours,  as  soon  as  the 

feverish  symptoms  have  abated. 

Prof.  John  Gamgee,  who  made  an  elaborate  report  on  this 
disease  to  the  United  States  Government,  published  by  the 


POSITIONS    ASSUMED    BY   CATTLE    IN   DISEASE. 


Pleura-Pneumonia,  273 

Department  of  Agriculture  in  1871,  joins  in  absolute  con- 
demnation of  purgatives  and  bleeding.  If  the  case  is  seen 
and  attended  to  early  in  the  disease,  he  believes  its  progress 
may  be  checked  by  active  internal  astringents.  He  places 
the  whole  herd  in  which  the  malady  has  appeared  on  regu- 
lar daily  doses  of  sulphate  of  iron,  allowing  about  half  a 
drachm  to  a  drachm  to  a  bullock,  mixed  mth  an  equal 
amount  of  bruised  coriander  seeds,  given  in  some  bran, 
-the  better  to  disguise  the  iron.  Prof.  Gamgee  has  uniformly 
found  its  use  followed  by  a  mitigation  of  the  cough  and  a 
disappearance  of  the  disease  in  the  herd. 

When  the  case  has  progressed  to  the  second  stage  of  the 
malady,  he  believes  that  light  but  nutritious  food,  copious 
warm  water  injections,  and  the  use  of  a  stimulant,  such  as 
half  an  ounce  of  carbonate  of  ammonia  in  a  quart  of  lin- 
seed tea,  two  or  three  times  a  day,  the  most  hopeful  plan. 

But  when  the  lung  is  already  filled  and  solidified  by  the 
progress  of  the  inflammation,  the  advice  of  this  author  is  to 
leave  the  case  to  nature.  If  both  lungs  are  involved,  there 
is  substantially  no  hope ;  but  if  only  one  is  implicated,  re- 
covery occasionally  takes  place. 

Blisters,  setons,  rowels  and  cauterization,  are  all  out  of 
place  in  the  acute  stage,  though  they  may  be  applied  after 
the  fever  has  abated  in  some  instances.     For  the  coup-h  and 

o 

debility  following  the  disease,  a  tonic  used  by  Prof.  Gam- 
gee  is : 

No.  305.  Oxide  of  manganese, 

Iron  filings,  each  ^  oz. 

Tincture  of  gentian,  1 J  oz. 

Water,  1  pint. 

To  be  given  daily  in  gruel. 

Or  the  sulphate  of  iron,  as  mentioned  above. 

The  carbolie  acid  treatment  has  been  unquestionably  ot 
considerable  success  in  various  instances.  It  may  be  carried 
out  as  follows : — 

18 


274  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

Ko.  306.  Carbolic  acid  (pure),  1  drachm 

Water,  1  pint. 

For  one  dose  three  time  a  day. 

The  otlier  preparations  of  the  acid,  as  the  carbolate  of 
Boda,  etc.,  may  also  be  used,  but  the  above  is  more  direct  and 
simpler. 

FOOT-AND-MOTTTH  DISEASE— EPIZOOTIC  APHTH.E— CONTAGIOUS 

ECZEMA. 

Definition. — A  highly  contagious,  but  rarely  fatal,  febrile 
disease,  occurring  in  cattle  and  sheep,  and  capable  of  trans- 
mission to  pigs  and  man;  it  is  characterized  by  an  eruption 
of  small  blisters  in  the  mouth,  between  the  clefts  of  the 
hoof,  and  along  its  upper  margin  at  the  coronet. 

Causes. — The  cause  is  a  specific  poison  supposed  by  some 
to  be  of  an  animal,  by  others  of  a  vegetable  nature.  It  re- 
mains in  the  system  from  one  to  four  days  before  it  produces 
the  characteristic  symptoms. 

The  foot-and-mouth  disease  was  first  introduced  into  the 
United  States  in  1869,  and  has  prevailed  more  or  less  ever 
since. 

Symptoms.  — These  are,  at  first,  an  increase  of  temperature 
in  the  body,  shortly  followed  by  an  eruption  of  small 
blisters,  about  the  size  of  a  ten-cent  piece,  on  the  tongue,  in- 
side the  lips,  on  the  roof  of  the  mouth  and  sometimes  on  the 
udder.  Smaller  blisters  also  make  their  appearance  in  the 
fissure  of  the  feet,  and  around  the  coronets  and  heels. 

There  are  some  lameness,  a  flow  of  water  from  the  mouth 
and  eyes,  constant  movements  of  the  lips,  and  difficulty  in 
swallowing. 

The  blisters  soon  break  and  leave  behind  raw  surfaces,, 
which  either  proceed  to  healing,  or,  in  severe  cases,  form 
ulcers  and  become  gangrenous. 


Foot-and-Mouth  Disease.  275 

Treatment. — Mild  cases  require  but  little  treatment,  as 
they  tend  to  recovery  after  a  week  or  two,  and  medicine  does 
little  to  hasten  it.  While  the  mouth  is  sore,  the  animal 
should  have  plenty  of  water,  with  an  ounce  of  saltpetre,  or 
of  chlorate  of  potash,  or  of  powdered  borax,  dissolved  in 
each  bucketful.     The  food  should  be  slops. 

The  feet  should  be  kept  clean,  and  washed  frequently 
with  a  mixture  like  the  following : 

No.  307.  Acetate  of  lead,  i  oz. 

Carbolic  acid,  1  oz. 

Water,  1  quart. 

Mix.   Dip  pieces  of  lint  or  tow  in  this,  and  bind  them  to  the  foot  and 
between  the  toes  with  a  bandage. 

"Where  there  is  extreme  weakness,  whiskey  should  be 
given. 

The  bowels  usually  become  loose  as  the  disease  advances, 
but  this  condition  should  not  be  interfered  with,  as  it  is  be- 
lieved to  be  an  effort  of  nature  to  throw  off  the  poison. 

As  a  mouth  wash  the  following  is  excellent : 

No.  308.  Chlorate  of  potash,  2  oz. 

Molasses,  8  oz. 

Eub  well  together.     A  spoonful  of  this  to  be  placed  within  the  lips 
several  times  a  day. 

For  the  external  ulcers  on  the  foot,  Mr.  Gamgee  recom- 
mends : 

No.  309.         Powdered  chalk,  4  ozs. 

"        charcoal,  1  oz. 

"        alum, 
Sulphate  of  zinc,  of  each,  J  oz. 

Mix  for  a  powder  to  be  sprinkled  on  the  ulcers. 

The  following  wash  is  used  for  both  foot  and  mouth 
ulcers : 

No.  310.  Sulphate  of  copper,  1  lb. 

Soft  water,  1  gallon. 

Wash  the  mouth  with  this,  by  means  of  a  sponge  fastened  to  a  stick 
and  bathe  the  feet  with  it,  especially  between  the  claws. 


276  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

CHARBON— BLACK  QUAETER— QTTARTEIt  ILL— CONTAGIOUS 
AUTHItAX— BLOODY  MURRAIN. 

Definition. — A  contagions  and  malignant  disease  of  the 
blood,  most  common  in  cattle,  but  communicable  to  all  do- 
mestic animals,  and  even  to  man  (when  it  is  known  as 
"  malignant  pustule.")  It  is  called  by  the  French  cliarhon, 
a  coal,  and  by  the  English  "  black  quarter,'^  "  black  leg," 
"  black  tongue,"  etc.,  because  the  part  attacked  turns  of  a 
dark  purple  or  nearly  black  color,  from  the  decomposition  of 
the  blood. 

Causes. — The  French  writers,  who  have  given  this  dis- 
ease especial  study,  on  account  of  its  prevalence  in  their 
country,  teach  that  it  arises  from  contagion ;  from  spoiled 
and  tainted  food ;  from  pasturing  in  low  swamps  and  among 
stagnant  pools ;  and  from  hot  and  damp  seasons.  It  is  most 
commonly  seen  in  summer  and  autumn,  especially  when  the 
temperature  is  high  and  rain  frequent. 

Most  of  the  latest  writers  believe  that  the  contagious  prin- 
ciple of  charbon  or  anthrax  consists  in  certain  extremely 
minute  vegetable  organisms  which  are  found  in  the  blood  in 
vast  quantities.  They  are  in  the  shape  of  rods,  and  have 
been  called  anthrax  bacteria  and  bacillus  anthracis.  They 
are  so  extremely  small  that  one  writer  estimates  that  eight  or 
ten  millions  may  exist  in  a  single  drop  of  diseased  blood. 
Carefully  conducted  experiments  leave  hardly  any  doubt  but 
that  these  are  capable  of  conveying  this  disease  to  healthy 
animals. 

These  poison-producing  organisms  have  a  wonderful  ten- 
acity of  life,  and  hence  every  part  of  a  diseased  animal,  the 
blood,  flesh,  hides,  hair,  hoof,  horns  and  excrement  are  poison- 
ous, and  \vill  convey  the  infection.  Prof.  Gross  mentions 
the  history  of  three  persons  who  were  attacked  by  the  disease 
after  picking  the  feathers  from  a  turkey-buzzard  (a  bird  itself 


POSITIONS    ASSUMED    BY    CATTLE    IN   DISEASE. 


Bloody  Murrain,  277 

not  liable  to  anthrax),  which  had  fed  on  the  carcass  of  an  ox 
dead  of  murrain.  Flies  can  carry  the  disease  on  their  feet 
and  probosces.  An  ox  yoke  worn  by  an  infected  animal  has 
been  known  to  carry  the  infection  to  a  well  one ;  and  even 
grain  and  straw,  grown  on  a  soil  where  a  diseased  animal  has 
been  buried,  are  said  on  good  authority  to  communicate  the 
malady.  Strong  alcohol  does  not  diminish  its  virulence. 
Prof.  Agnew  tells  of  his  own  knowledge  a  case  where  a  man 
died  of  malignant  pustule ;  his  face  had  been  occasionally 
wiped  with  a  handkerchief  saturated  with  alcohol ;  six  months 
afterwards  his  widow  used  a  little  alcohol  from  the  same 
bottle  to  bathe  her  face,  and  was  at  once  attacked  with  the 
same  terrible  disease. 

Symptoms. — The  animal  becomes  languid^  the  ears  drop, 
the  eyes  are  red,  the  mouth  and  nose  hot  and  dry,  and  the 
pulse  rapid  and  feeble,  from  80  to  120  beats  per  minute. 

In  the  course  of  a  short  time  swellings  appear  about  the 
loins,  back,  head,  neck,  brisket  or  legs.  They  cause  pain 
and  stiffness,  which  make  the  animal  unwilling  to  move  or 
rise  up  if  he  is  lying  down.  The  appetite  is  entirely  lost,  he 
does  not  chew  the  cud,  the  bowels  are  constipated,  and  the 
urine  scanty  and  dark  in  color. 

When  the  swellings  mentioned  are  felt,  they  are  found  to 
be  cool  or  cold,  not  very  tender  or  painful,  and  may  give  out 
a  crackling  sound.  They  are  dark  or  nearly  black  in  color, 
having  the  appearance  of  mortification. 

In  a  few  hours  or  a  few  days  the  symptoms  of  exhaustion 
deepen  greatly  ;  the  animal  cannot  rise  from  the  ground,  his 
eye  is  fixed  and  staring,  the  breathing  is  shallow,  and  he  dies 
often  in  convulsions. 

When  the  disease  attacks  the  tongue  it  is  known  as  "black 
tongue ''  or  "  blain ; "  and  when  in  the  throat,  as  "  malignant 
sore  throat ''  or  "  putrid  sore  throat."  At  times  the  tumors 
form  on  the  intestines,  when  the  prominent  sign  is  the  pas- 


278  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

sage  from  the  bowels  of  quantities  of  dark  colored  Iblood, 
which  form  is  particularly  known  as  "  bloody  murrain/^  Or 
it  may  attack  the  spleen,  causing  a  rapid  and  fatal  malady, 
sometimes  described  as  "apoplexy  of  the  spleen."  This  is 
especially  common  in  milk  cows. 

When  charbon  is  prevalent,  almost  any  wound  which  one 
of  the  herd  receives,  no  matter  how  free  he  is  from  the  dis- 
ease, is  very  liable  to  put  on  this  malignant  form  of  ulcera- 
tion, and  lead  to  fatal  results. 

Gloss-anthrax  or  blain  is  occasionally,  perhaps  often,  epi- 
demic among  herds.  On  examining  the  mouth,  the  tongue 
seems  enlarged,  and  large  vesicles  or  blisters,  dark  red  or 
purple,  are  seen  running  along  its  sides  and  under  surface, 
especially  toward  the  tip.  These  vesicles  are  filled  with  a 
bloody  fluid,  which  flows  forth  when  they  break,  leaving  an 
angry  raw  spot,  which  quickly  becomes  a  corroding  ulcer. 
Other  blisters  form  near  it,  and  in  malignant  cases,  the  blood 
of  the  animal  is  quickly  poisoned,  and  death  may  ensue  in 
twenty-four  hours.  In  less  rapid  cases,  the  tongue  is  grad- 
ually eaten  away  by  the  ulcerations,  the  glands  behind  and 
under  the  jaw  swell  and  break  externally,  and  other  ulcers 
begin  to  appear  about  the  feet,  particularly  at  the  junction 
of  the  haw  and  the  hoof,  threatening  the  loss  of  the  hoof. 

Constipation  is  always  present,  and  an  irritative  fever  of  a 
low  typhoid  form  speedily  makes  its  appearance,  and  carries 
off  the  animal. 

This  fever  led  to  the  disease,  in  some  of  its  forms, 
being  described  as  "inflammatory  fever  of  cattle,"  by 
Youatt  and  others ;  but  a  more  modern  study  of  its  nature 
has  shown  that  the  fever  is  a  symptom  only  of  a  general 
blood  poisoning. 

"  Anthrax  fever "  occurs  when  the  malignant  inflamma- 
tion attacks  some  of  the  internal  organs.  The  cow  or  steer 
ceases  feeding  and  ruminating,  trembles,  has  partial  sweats, 


Charbon  in  Cattle.  279 

arches  the  back  and  rests  his  quarters  against  a  wall  or  fence. 
The  temperature  is  high,  105°  to  107°  ;  and  this  is  the  ear- 
liest symptom  of  the  approach  of  the  disease.  The  eye  is 
sunken,  dull  and  often  yellow ;  the  pulse  weak  and  irregu- 
lar, the  breathing  jerky,  and  there  is  tenderness  over  the 
loins,  back  or  sides.  The  urine  becomes  bloody,  a  bloody 
liquid  escapes  from  the  nose,  the  eyes  and  the  anus,  and  the 
dung  is  mixed  with  blood.  Hence  the  expressive  name  of 
the  disease,  "  The  Bloody  Murrain.''  The  temperature  falls 
below  the  natural  one  (100°),  and  the  animal  dies  in  convul- 
sion or  stupor,  often  within  twenty-four  or  forty-eight  hours 
of  the  first  symptoms ;  or  else,  the  symptoms  rapidly  disap- 
pearing, he  makes  a  prom23t  recovery. 

A  remarkable  form  of  the  disease  prevailed  in  Nebraska 
in  1872-3.  It  was  confined  to  cows  and  heifers.  They 
were  attacked,  while  apparently  in  perfect  health,  with 
a  malignant  carbuncle  or  gangrenous  swelling  at  the  lower 
commissure  of  the  vagina,  the  spot  looking  "  as  if  dead  or 
frozen.''  This  ulcerated  and  extended  rapidly  up  the  va- 
gina, involving  the  rectum  and  surrounding  tissues.  In 
about  twenty-four  hours  from  its  first  appearance,  the  cow 
was  seized  with  nervous  shudders,  violent  twitching  of  the 
tail  and  loss  of  power  in  the  hind  quarters.  By  the  wild 
eye,  total  loss  of  appetite  and  bellowing,  it  was  easy  to  see  the 
suffering  was  great.  In  from  thirty-six  to  forty-eight  hours 
from  the  beginning  of  the  attack  it  usually  proved  fatal. 
Inflammation  and  ulceration  of  the  lower  bowel  and  vagina 
were  the  principal  post  mortem  appearances.  It  was  asserted 
that  the  early  application  of  crude  petroleum  to  and  in  the 
vagina  cured  some  cases.  The  facts  were  reported  by  Sena- 
tor Dodge  to  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  Agriculture, 
but  the  nature  of  the  disease  was  not  recognized  at  the  time. 

Treatment. — In  spite  of  the  extensive  studies  that  have 
been  given  to  this  destructive  disease,  no  very  successful 


280  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

method  of  treatment  has  been  discovered.  It  may  be  pre- 
mised that  all  bleeding,  purging,  lowering  medicines  are  hurt- 
ful ;  and  that  all  local  applications  to  "  backen"  the  swellings 
are  useless. 

Prof.  AYilliams  believes  the  most  promising  treatment  is : 

No.  311.  Chlorate  of  potash,  J  oz. 

Water,  1  pint. 

Mix  and  give  three  times  a  day. 

This,  he  says,  is  superior  to  all  other  medicine. 

In  blain,  and  whenever  the  disease  arises  from  inoculation, 
(as  in  "malignant  pustule"  in  man),  the  great  majority  of 
cases  can  be  cured  if  seen  at  an  early  period,  before  the  poi- 
son of  the  local  pustule  or  vesicle  has  been  absorbed  into  the 
system.  The  treatment  must,  however,  be  prompt.  The 
vesicle  or  pustule  must  be  freely  opened  with  a  lancet  or  sharp 
knife,  from  end  to  end,  and  the  raw  surface  thus  exposed 
thoroughly  mopped  with  a  chloride  of  zinc  solution  (twenty 
grains  to  the  ounce  of  water),  with  tincture  of  the  chloride 
of  iron,  with  sulphuric  or  nitric  acid,  nitrate  of  mercmy  or 
of  silver,  or  some  other  efficient  caustic.  The  hot  iron  itself 
is  the  best  in  some  locations. 

In  bloody  murrain  Youatt  and  others  have  spoken  highly 
of  chloride  of  lime  (bleaching  powder) : — 

No.  312.  Chloride  of  lime,  2  to  4  drachms. 

Prepared  chalk,  1  oz. 

Laudanum,  2  drachms. 

Mix  and  give  in  a  pint  of  warm  gruel  every  two  or  three  hours. 

A  similar  remedy  has  been  praised  by  Sir  J.  Tyrrell,  to- 

wit: — 

No.  313.  Sulphite  of  soda,  1  oz. 

Water,  3  gallons. 

Of  this  the  sick  animal  is  to  be  given  to  drink  as  much  as  it  wants. 

Mr.  Dun  combines  the  soda  with  chlorate  of  potash,  as : — 

No.  314.  Sulphite  of  soda, 

Chlorate  of  potash,  of  each         1  oz. 
Give  in  a  quart  or  two  of  water  two  or  three  times  a  day. 


Charbon  in  Cattle,  281 

Of  undoubted  and  positive  efficacy  both  in  the  prevention 
and  treatment  of  this  disease  is  a  seton  in  the  dewlap,  and  it 
should  always  be  inserted  at  the  first  intimation  of  the 
malady,  smeared  with  irritating  ointment  and  turned  every 
day.  It  should  be  a  broad,  coarse  tape,  a  foot  long  and  an  inch 
wide,  and  it  should  remain  in  six  or  eight  weeks. 

All  animals  who  die  of  any  form  of  this  disease  should  be 
buried  at  once,  as  their  flesh  is  poisonous  to  man  and  beast, 
and  the  odor  from  their  decaying  bodies  is  believed  to  dis- 
seminate the  disease. 

Recent  French  authors  recommend  as  specifics  large  doses 
of  quinine,  one  to  two  drachms  repeated  every  two  or  three 
hours  in  severe  cases ;  and  the  hypodermic  injection  of  a  solu- 
tion of  iodine  in  the  following  solution : 

No.  315.  Iodine,  2  grains. 

Iodide  of  potassium,  5  grains. 

Water,  1  oz. 
Use  a  syringeful  every  hour  in  severe  cases. 

In  extreme  cases  this  may  be  thrown  into  the  veins.  It  is 
of  absolute  importance  that  with  this  treatment  the  strength 
be  kept  up  with  frequent  doses  of  stimulants,  among  which 
these  writers  recommend  most  strongly  the  carbonate  of 
ammonia. 

The  germs  of  the  disease,  when  it  is  epidemic  among  ani- 
mals, may  be  destroyed  by  fumigation  with  sulphur  (as  re- 
commended, page  28),  and  by  sprinkling  the  forage  or 
pastures  with  solutions  of  sulphuric  acid,  one  drachms  to  two 
gallons  of  water. 

TEXAS  CATTLE  DISEASE— SPANISH  FEVER— SPLENIC  FEVEB. 

Definition. — A  contagious  fever  originating  in  the  low 
swampy  lands  of  Southern  Texas,  and  extended  by  the  ex- 
portation of  cattle  to  other  sections.  In  its  effects  on  the  sys- 
tem it  very  closely  resembles  the  Einderpest  of  Asiatic  Kus- 


282  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

sia,  but  it  is  less  destructive  and  less  contagious.  Animals 
are  found  after  death  to  have  the  spleen  enlarged  and  soft- 
ened, the  fat  is  yellow,  the  blood  fluid,  and  the  kidneys 
broken  down. 

Causes. — The  Texan  cattle  themselves  do  not  appear  to 
suffer  from  this  disease  in  a  violent  form ;  but  it  proves  very 
fatal  when  introduced  into  Northern  herds.  Its  contagion  is 
communicated  through  the  dung,  and  the  roads,  pastures  and 
streams  convey  it  into  other  neighborhoods.  It  is  destroyed 
at  once  by  frost,  and,  apparently,  one  Northern  animal  cannot 
give  it  to  another. 

Symptoms. — Four  or  five  weeks  may  pass  after  the  poison 
has  been  taken  into  the  system  before  it  shows  itself.  There 
will  be  at  first  a  moderate  fever,  showing  an  increase  of  tem- 
perature to  103°  to  107°. 

This  is  followed  in  five  or  six  days  by  dullness,  drooping 
of  the  head,  arched  back,  cough,  trembling,  jerking  of  the 
muscles,  the  horn  hot,  and  the  appetite  and  cud  lost. 

The  eyes  become  glassy  and  watery,  the  urine  turns  to  a 
deep  red  or  black  from  the  blood  which  is .  in  it,  and  the 
dung  is  hard  and  often  coated  with  blood.  When  the  mouth 
and  rectum  are  examined,  they  are  found  to  be  of  a  dark  red 
or  coppery  color.  The  animal  dies  in  a  stupor  or  in  convul- 
sions. 

In  1871  the  United  States  Government  published  an  elabo- 
rate study  of  this  disease,  prepared  by  Prof.  John  Gamgee 
and  other  eminent  observers.  They  found  it  to  occur  in  two 
forms.  The  first  is  insidious,  latent  and  usually  fatal,  and 
the  more  frequent  form  among  Southern  cattle ;  while  the 
more  active  form  is  found  in  Northern  herds. 

After  death  there  is  only  one  diseased  condition  of  the  or- 
gans which  is  invariably  present.  The  fourth  stomacji,  how- 
ever, is  "almost  invariably''  distinctly  inflamed,  and  the 


Texas  Cattle  Disease,  283 

spleen  is  uniformly  enlarged ^  the  weight  varying  from  two  to 
ten  pounds.  It  is  of  a  purplish  color,  and  on  cutting  it  the 
pulp  oozes  out,  it  being  soft,  like  currant  jelly.  From  this 
condition  of  the  spleen,  which  was  found  in  nearly  5,000 
cases,  Prof.  Gamgee  calls  the  disease  "  the  splenic  fever.'^ 

While  not  stating  positively  an  opinion  on  its  cause,  he 
does  assert  that  all  the  cattle  in  the  States  bordering  on  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  for  a  distance  of  two  or  three  hmidred 
miles  inland,  are  affected  with  malaria ;  that  they  have  "  ague 
cake  ^'  and  thin  blood,  and  more  or  less  disturbance  of  the 
stomach ;  and  it  is  this  low  tone  of  the  system  which  he 
conjectures,  leads  to  an  imperfect  development  of  the  blood, 
and  the  generation  of  a  "  crowd  poison,'^  highly  injurious  to 
other  members  of  the  same  species  not  under  the  influence  of 
the  same  conditions.  He  does  not  consider  it  a  true  epizo- 
otic or  contagious  disorder,  but  one  conveyed  by  the  excre- 
tions of  the  animals  (the  dung,  urine,  etc.,)  containing  poison- 
ous matters. 

Treatment. — The  animal  should  be  put  in  a  roomy  stall 
where  the  ventilation  is  good,  and  should  have  soft  food. 
Internally  he  should  be  given  twice  or  three  times  a  day  : — 

No.  316.  Chlorate  of  potash,  ^  oz. 

Tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,  1  oz. 

Water,  1  quart. 
Mix,  and  give  at  one  dose. 

When  the  weakness  becomes  considerable  he  should  have 
whisky  freely. 

As  soon  as  the  most  dangerous  symptoms  are  passed  the 
food  should  be  light  and  plentiful,  and  tonics  be  admin- 
istered, as  : — 

No.  317.  Sulphate  of  iron.  J  oz. 

Tincture  of  ginger,  1  oz, 

AVater,  1  qt. 

This  amount  twice  daily. 


284  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

A  remedy  relied  on  by  many,  as  tlie  best  in  this  disease,  is : — 

No.  318.  Bicarbonate  of  soda, 

Carbolic  acid,  of  each,  12  ozs. 

Glycerine,  4  ozs. 

Of  this  the  dose  is  two  tablespoonfuls,  three  times  a  day,  in  a  quart  of 
water. 

Prof.  Gamgee  in  his  report  above  referred  to  does  not 
speak  hopefully  of  any  particular  plan  of  treatment.  He 
recommends  the  animals  should  be  sheltered,  the  limbs  well 
rubbed,  and  the  bowels  moved  by  injections.  Eelief  is  af- 
forded by  ounce  doses  of  laudanum  during  the  first  day  or 
two.  He  adds  that  he  has  seen  cows  return  to  nearly  their 
full  quantity  of  milk  on  such  treatment,  aided  by  the  fol- 
lowing stimulant : 

No.  319.  Sulphuric  ether,  ^  J  oz. 

Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia,  4  ozs. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  linseed  tea  or  water,  three  times  a  day. 

COW-POX— VAEIOLA  VACCINA. 

Definition. — A  contagious  fever,  characterized  by  an  erup- 
tion which  is  at  first  a  pimple,  then  a  vesicle,  next  a  pustule, 
and  last  a  scab.     It  is  the  same  disease  as  small-pox  in  man. 

Cause. — The  only  cause  positively  known  is  inoculation 
or  contao-ion.     But  there  seems  little  doubt  but  that  in  cer- 

o 

tain  instances  cow-pox  has  appeared  "  spontaneously "  in  a 
dahy.  At  times  it  seems  to  spread  rapidly  through  several 
herds,  but  is  generally  neither  very  contagious  nor  is  at  all 
dangerous,  fatal  cases  being  very  rare. 

Symptoms. — There  is  more  or  less  of  fever  for  a  few  days 
preceding  the  attack.  The  pimples  appear  on  the  teats,  udder 
and  belly ;  the  milk  is  diminished,  and  the  appetite  slightly 
impaired.  Successive  crops  of  vesicles  are  formed,  burst,  and 
dry  up,  appearing  thus  one  after  another  for  several  weeks. 

Treatment. — This  need  not  be  active.  When  the  disease 
first  appears,  it  is  well  to  separate  those  affected  with  it  from 
the  rest  of  the  herd,  to  prevent  the  contagion  spreading. 


Coughs  and  Colds,  285 

CHAPTER  II. 

NON-CONTAGIOUS   AND   LOCAL   DISEASES   OF  CATTLE. 

Catarrh —  Colds —  Coughs — Snores — Snivels. 

Consumption — Wasting — Pining. 

Hollow  Horn — Horn-ail — An<jemia  of  Cattle. 

Hoven — Blown — Impaction  of  the  Rumen  or  First  Stomach. 

Fardel-hound — Maw-hound — Stomach  Staggers — Impjaction 

of  the  Omasum  or  2 hird  Stomach — Gastritis  of  Ruminants 

— Lahehurn. 
Ohstruction  of  the  Bowels. 

Congestion  and  Inflammation  of  the  Liver — The  Yellows, 
Bed  Water — Black  Water — Bloody  Urine, 
Dysentery — Bloody  Flux — Scouring  Rot, 
Milk  Sickness — The  Tremhles, 
Rheumatism — Felon, 
Foul  in  the  Foot — Foul-claw, 
Lice,  Ticks  and  other  vermin, 

CATARRH— COLDS— SNORES— SNIVELS. 

These  disturbances  of  the  breathing  tubes  are  in  causes, 
symptoms  and  treatment  essentially  the  same  in  cattle  as  in 
horses.     (See  pages  102,  105). 

Cattle  are,  however,  peculiarly  subject  in  some  localities 
to  a  stoppage  of  the  nostrils  by  an  abundant,  thick  secretion, 
and  by  the  swelling  of  the  lining  membrane.  This  forces 
them  to  breathe  with  some  difficulty ;  they  emit  a  snorting 
or  snoring  sound,  from  which  the  disease  is  locally  termed 
the  "snores''  or  the  "snivels.'' 

On  examination,  there  is  occasionally  found  a  swelling  in- 
side the  nostril,  which  nearly  fills  the  passage,  and  later  bursts 
and  forms  an  abscess.  When  this  breaks  the  animal  is  re- 
lieved. 


286  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

This  form  of  nasal  catarrh  is  asserted  to  be  confined  to 
horned  cattle. 

The  treatment  is  to  inject  the  nostrils  with  olive  oil,  so  as 
to  prevent  the  drying  of  the  secretion ;  to  have  the  animal 
inhale  steam  from  hot  bran  mash  in  a  nose  bag ;  and  to 
syringe  the  nostril  with  a  disinfectant  solution  when  the  ab- 
scess breaks. 

A  cough  in  a  cow  should  not  be  neglected,  as  these  ani- 
mals are  peculiarly  prone  to  have  it  run  on  into  consump- 
tion. The  throat  and  breast  should  be  well  rubbed  with 
mustard  stirred  up  in  boiling  water,  and  if  there  is  fever, 
the  following  modification  of  Mr.  Youatt's  "fever  powder" 
will  be  in  place  : — 

No.  820.  Powdered  digitalis,  ^  drachm. 

"  ipecac,  1  drachm. 

Nitrate  of  potash, 

Sulphur,        each,  2  drachms. 

To  be  given  in  a  pint  of  gruel,  linseed  tea  or  slippery  elm  bark  mu- 
cilage, as  occasion  requires. 

"When  there  are  no  feverish  symptoms  present,  but  only 
an  old  haoiving,  or  hoarse  cough,  the  following  is  praised  by 
Mr.  Gamgee,  as  a  useful  expectorant  in  all  animals  : 

No.  321.         Guaiacum,  2  ozs. 

Sassafras  root,  1  oz. 

Water,  1  qt. 

Boil  to  a  pint,  and  add  a  half  ounce  of  liquorice  stick.      When  dis- 
solved, strain,  and  give  in  two  doses,  night  and  morning. 

Young  cattle  and  calves  are  particularly  liable  to  a  cough 
from  the  presence  of  a  species  of  worm  in  the  throat. 
Whenever  they  are  noticed  to  have  a  hoarse  husky  cough 
this  may  be  suspected.  The  proper  treatment  will  be  con- 
sidered under  Hoose. 

The  bowels  should  be  kept  moderately  loose  in  all  chronic 
coughs,  the  animal  sustained  on  tonics  and  good  and 
abundant  food,  protected  both  from  inclement  weather  and 


Consumption.  287 

from  too  hot  stabling  j  and  it  is  good  practice  to  insert  a 
seton,  and  thus  establish  counter-irritation  from  the  lungs. 

CONSTJMPTIOIT— WASTING— PINING. 

Definition. — A  tuberculous  disease,  allied  to  phthisis  in 
the  human  race ;  in  cattle,  rarely  found  attacking  solely  the 
lungs,  but  rather  the  intestines,  mesentery  and  serous  mem- 
branes, and  other  tissues. 

Causes. — Consumption  in  cattle,  as  in  the  human  race,  is 
very  often  hereditary,  and  often  follows  severe  and  neglected 
colds,  insufficient  food,  exposure  to  cold  and  wet,  excessive 
milking,  and  as  a  sequel  to  various  acute  diseases. 

Symptoms.— These  differ  in  respect  to  the  parts  of  the 
system  which  the  disease  attacks. 

"When  its  seat  is  the  intestines,  it  produces  tubercular 
chronic  dysentery.  There  is  a  constant  scouring,  with  the 
discharges  bloody,  very  foul  smelling,  and  mixed  with  pus. 
This,  and  the  wasting  of  the  flesh  and  fever,  strongly  resem- 
ble ordinary  chronic  dysentery  ;  and,  indeed,  it  is  generally 
considered  during  life  to  be  this  latter  disease. 

In  general  consumption,  the  early  signs  are  unthriftiness, 
irregular  appetite,  a  dry  cough,  a  dull  skin  and  dirty  hair. 
If  it  is  a  cow,  she  will  probably  abort,  the  milk  will  become 
thin  and  watery,  and  if  not  pregnant  she  will  probably  have 
violent  and  continued  sexual  desire. 

With  these  signs  there  is  steady  loss  of  flesh  ;  the  cough 
increases  but  there  is  no  discharge  from  the  nose  or  mouth ; 
the  digestive  organs  are  weak,  and  watery  diarrhea  may  set 
in,  w^hich  soon  reduces  the  animal  to  a  skeleton  and  destroys 
life. 

By  listening  k>  the  lungs,  some  differences  from  the  natural 
sound  are  nearly  always  heard,  but  these  are  neither  constant 


288  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

nor  well  marked.  There  may  be  dullness  from  water  on  the 
lungs,  and  also  dropsy  of  the  belly. 

The  disease  is  very  variable  in  its  duration,  sometimes 
running  Its  course  in  a  week  or  two,  sometimes  extending 
over  several  months. 

In  cases  where  the  serous  membranes  are  most  exposed  to 
the  tuberculous  change,  the  joints  are  not  unfrequently  at- 
tacked, producing  marked  and  incurable  lameness.  Ignor- 
ant farriers  often  treat  these  cases  with  firing,  setons  and 
blisters,  and  thus  add  still  further  to  the  misery  of  the  beast. 

Treatment. — To  have  any  chance  of  success,  the  treat- 
ment must  be  begun  in  the  earliest  stage  of  the  disease. 
Cows  should  not  be  milked  nor  oxen  worked,  fattening  food 
should  be  given,  careful  attention  paid  to  their  housing  and 
healthy  surroundings,  and  the  digestive  organs  well  looked 
after. 

The  most  appropriate  food  is  milk,  oil  cake,  sound  hay 
and  ground  corn.  Internally,  cod  liver  oil  should  be  given 
in  doses  from  a  quarter  to  a  half  pint  daily.  A  seton  should 
be  Inserted  and  turned  daily,  to  counteract  the  process  of  dis- 
organization. 

Change  of  climate  does  not  seem  to  be  of  any  benefit  in 
the  consumption  of  cattle.  On  the  contrary,  the  disease  is 
often  produced  by  such  a  change,  although  from  a  low  and 
swampy  to  a  dry  and  well  drained  locality. 

As  the  hereditary  character  of  the  disease  is  universally 
recognized,  it  is  not  desirable  to  raise  calves  of  consumptive 
mothers.  They  should  be  slaughtered,  and  others  obtained 
for  keeping. 


CD 


Hollow  Horn.  289 

HOLLOW  HORN— HORN- AIL— ANEMIA  OF  CATTLE. 

Definition. — A  special  diseased  condition  of  the  blood,  in 
which  there  is  either  a  deficiency  in  the  amount  of  blood  in 
the  body,  or  a  diminution  of  some  of  its  important  constitu- 
ents, especially  the  red  blood  corpuscles. 

Causes. — Such  a  condition  of  the  blood  may  follow  an  at- 
tack of  any  acute  disease  where  the  recovery  is  slow  and  par- 
tial ;  but  generally  it  is  brought  about  by  poor  or  insufiicient 
food,  exposure  and  neglect,  foul  air,  lack  of  cleanliness  and 
other  necessary  conditions  of  health.  The  food  may  be 
abundant  in  quantity,  but  contain  an  excess  of  water  and 
a  deficiency  of  solid  matter.  Thus,  instances  are  given  in  the 
Country  Gentleman's  3Iagazine,  1874,  where  the  exclusive 
use  of  roots,  or  of  green  food  grooving  on  damp  soil,  and  even 
the  persistent  use  of  one  food  only,  resulted  in  this  depraved 
condition  of  the  blood.  Cattle  fed  winter  and  summer  on 
timothy  hay  have  been  known  to  suffer  from  it.  Monotony 
of  diet  in  them,  as  in  human  beings,  leads  to  the  manufac- 
ture by  the  digestive  organs  of  an  inferior  quality  of  blood. 

Symptoms. — These  are  those  of  general  debility  and  "poor 
condition."  The  animal  is  scant  of  flesh,  hide  bound,  and 
with  staring  coat.  The  hair  is  often  ragged  and  lousy.  The 
appetite  is  ravenous  or  irregular  >  the  bowels  either  consti- 
pated or  too  loose,  generally  the  latter,  the  dung  is  foul- 
smelling,  and  there  is  much  wind  passed.  The  pulse  is 
feeble,  and  the  animal  easily  fatigued.  On  examining  the 
inside  of  the  mouth,  the  lining  membrane  looks  paler  than 
usual,  and  on  feeling  the  horn  it  is  colder  than  natural,  some- 
times almost  "  deathly  cold.'' 

This  last  mentioned  trait  is  what  has  given  the  disease  its 
common  name,  and  the  ordinary  cowleech  imagines  the  dis- 
ease is  a  local  one,  originating  in  the  horn.  Hence  he  will 
bore  it  with  a  gimlet  and  squirt  some  turpentine  into  the 

19 


290  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

orifice ;  or  he  will  put  a  plaster  at  the  base  of  the  horn.  But 
ia  fact,  the  temperature  of  the  horn  is  low  on  account  of  the 
general  poverty  of  the  blood,  and  these  measures  are  vain. 
Thouo'h  we  have  been  familiar  with  cases  of  this  disease 
from  boyhood,  we  have  never  seen  one  where  the  horn  actu- 
ally was  hollow ;  though  that  this  might  not  happen  through 
the  processes  known  as  atrophy  and  absorption  of  the  inner 
vascular  structure,  we  do  not  deny.  Later  symptoms  of  the 
disease  are  swellings  under  the  jaws  and  about  the  navel,  and 
dropsy  of  the  belly. 

Treatment. — This  is  suggested  by  what  has  been  said  of 
the  causes  of  the  disease.  The  animal  must  be  well  fed, 
well  housed  and  well  cleaned.  The  food  should  be  given  in 
small  quantities  and  often.  If  lousy,  as  is  very  often  the 
case,  it  must  be  washed  and  some  of  the  insecticides  recom- 
mended for  that  purpose  must  be  applied. 

No  boring  or  bleeding  is  needed.  It  will  not  be  amiss  to 
commence  with  a  moderate  dose  of  salts  or  oil,  to  clean  out 
the  bowels.  The  diarrhea,  if  persistent,  should  be  checked  by 
astringents.  After  this,  a  tonic  is  needed,  especially  an  iron 
one,  in  small  doses,  to  aid  in  enriching  the  blood ;  and  with 
it  may  be  very  advantageously  combined  a  little  nux  vomica, 
to  stimulate  the  nervous  system,  as : 

No.  322.  Sulphate  of  iron,  2  drachms. 

Powdered  nux  vomica,  1  drachm. 

Powdered  gentian,  1  ounce. 
This  amount  daily  in  dry  food  or  as  a  drench. 

After  one  week  it  should  be  suspended  for  a  week,  and 
then  resumed  for  one  week  more.  These  measures  will  cer- 
tainly cure  all. cases  of  hollow  horn  that  do  not  depend  on 
some  serious  organic  disease. 


1.  STEAMING  A  STEER.     2.  SEAT  OF  OPERATION  FOR  IMPACTED  RUMEN. 


Hoven,  291 

H07EN— BLOWN— IMPACTION  OF  THE  RTTMEIT. 

Definition. — A  form  of  indigestion  in  cattle,  frequently- 
accompanying  other  diseases,  consisting  of  an  unnatural  dis- 
tension of  the  rumen  or  first  stomach  by  food,  and  by  the 
gases  it  gives  off  in  the  process  of  fermentation,  or  by  gases 
evolved  from  the  walls  of  the  organ. 

Causes. — In  health  this  condition  is  brought  on  by  over 
feeding  with  damp  grasses,  especially  green  clover.  Almost 
any  food  in  excessive  quantities  may  produce  it.  In  various 
diseases  there  is  a  secretion  of  gas  from  the  inner  coat  of  the 
stomach,  causing  great  and  painful  distension,  sometimes 
called.  "  tympanites.^^ 

Symptoms. — There  is  a.  swelling  on  the  left  side,  which 

appears  while  the  animal  is  feeding  or  shortly  afterwards. 

The  breathing  is  difficult  and  painful,  becoming  more  so  as 

the  gas  is  generated  and  the  swelling  increases.     This  is 

manifested  by  the  general  appearance  of  the  animal.     There 

are  expansion  of  the  nostrils,  moaning  during  expiration, 

belching,  dribbling  from  the  mouth  and  uneasiness.     The 

animal  loses  his  cud.     The  bowels  are  constipated ;  and  if 

the  swelling  is  great,  there  vnll  be  a  prominence  and  wild- 

ness  of  the  eye,  which  is  characteristic  of  obstruction  to  the 

entrance  of  air  into  the  lunges. 

...  .  ♦ 

Unless  relieved,  the  animal  will  die  from  suffocation,  from 

laceration  of  the  stomach,  or  from  blood  poisoning  from  the 

gases. 

Treatment. — In  very  severe  cases,  when  the  swelling  is 
from  gases,  the  proper  course  is  to  plunge  a  trochar  into  the 
rumen  and  allow  the  gas  to  escape  through  the  canula.  The 
operation  is  to  be  performed  on  the  most  prominent  part  of 
the  swelling,  and  if  the  tube  becomes  choked  by  the  contents 
of  the  stomach,  it  must  be  cleaned  out  with  a  wire  or  stick. 

When  the  symptoms  are  not  so  urgent  as  to  call  for  this 


292  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

measure,  they  can  generally  be  relieved  by  some  of  the  stimu- 
lants given  below.  After  the  severe  symptoms  are  relieved, 
a  strong  purgative  is  to  be  prescribed,  such  as : — 

Ko.  323.  Epsom  salts,  i  lb. 

Croton  oil,  •'^        20  drops. 

Linseed  oil,  1  pint. 

Mix. 

In  cases  where  the  swelling  is  from  over  feeding,  and  the 
rumen  is  crammed  with  solid  matters — which  is  easily  recog- 
nized by  its  doughy  feel  and  solid  sound  on  percussion — it  is 
often  necessary  to  empty  it  before  any  medicines  can  take 
effect.  The  best  method  of  performing  this  operation  is  as 
follows : 

Fasten  the  animal  by  its  nose,  with  its  right  side  to  the 
wall ;  then  plunge  a  sharp  bistoury  into  the  rumen,  begin- 
ning midway  between  the  last  rib  and  the  spine  of  the  haunch 
bone,  and  from  four  to  six  inches  from  the  back  bone,  cutting 
downward  until  the  opening  is  large  enough  to  admit  the 
hand.  Then  run  a  stitch  through  from  the  skin  to  the  inner 
part  of  the  stomach  at  the  lower  portion  of  the  cut,  so  that 
the  contents  of  the  stomach  may  not  escape  into  the  cavity  of 
the  abdomen.  Turn  out  with  the  hand  these  contents^ 
Clean  the  edges  of  the  wound  thoroughly.  Sew  up  first  the 
coats  of  the  stomach,  turning  the  edges  in ;  and  next  the 
outer  wound  in  the  usual  manner.  Apply  a  stiff  pitch  plas- 
ter over  the  wound,  and  feed  the  animal  on  small  quantities 
of  slops  for  a  few  days. 

Of  medicines,  Mr.  Dun  recommends  turpentine,  in  small 
and  repeated  doses,  as  half  an  ounce  every  fifteen  minutes, 
until  four  ounces  are  taken.  Mr.  Gamgee  prefers  assa- 
fcetida : — 

No.  324.  Assafoetida,  h  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  1  pt. 

Mix  for  a  drench. 


Impaction  of  the  Stomal  293 

Or:— 

No.  325.  Strong  solution  of  ammonia,  |  oz. 

Water,  1  pt. 

For  a  drench. 

Or:— 

No.  326.  Creasote,  2  drachms. 

Water,  1  pt. 

For  a  drench. 

Other  stimulants  used  are  whiskey  and  brandy,  oil  of 
peppermint,  essence  of  ginger,  and  red  pepper  tea,  either  of 
which  will  at  times  work  satisfactorily,  and  at  others  fail 
entirely. 

When  the  animal  is  liable  to  frequent  returns  of  the  dis- 
ease, Prof.  Law  recommends  careful  dieting,  and  the  follow- 
ing tonic  : 

No.  327.  Fenugreek, 

Iron  rust, 

Carbonate  of  soda, 

Common  salt,  of  each,  4  ozs. 

Powdered  nux  vomica,  2  drachms. 

Mix  well,  and  give  a  heaping  tablespoonful,  twice  daily,  in  the  food. 

FAEDEL-BOTJND—MAWBOTJND— STOMACH   STAGGEHS— IMPACTION" 

OF  THE  THIED  STOMACH— GASTRITIS  OF  RUMINANTS— 

LAKEBTJEN. 

Definition. — Distension  of  the  third  stomach,  the  many- 
plies  or  omasum,  with  undigested  food,  which  may  be 
followed  by  congestion  and  inflammation  of  its  lining  mem^ 
brane,  and  also  of  that  of  the  fourth  or  true  stomach,  the 
caul  or  abomasum. 

The  best  authorities  on  veterinary  medicine,  such  as  the 
late  Professor  Dick  and  Professor  Williams,  do  not  make  a 
distinction  in  practice  between  impaction  and  inflammation 
of  the  third  stomach.  By  the  older  writers  impaction  was 
called  ^'  fardel -bound,"  and  inflammation,  ^'  lake-burn  /'  and 
they  taught  that  the  third  stomach  alone  was  the  one  usually 
at  fault.     Closer  observation  has  shown  that  the  symptoms 


294  Diseases  of  CaUte, 

of  these  supposed  diseases  really  refer  principally  to  inflam- 
mation of  the  fourth  or  true  stomach.  The  third  compart- 
ment, indeed,  participates  in  the  disorder ;  as  do  also  often 
the  first  and  second  stomachs ;  but  the  main  and  principal 
seat  of  the  morbid  change  is  in  the  abomasum  ;  thus  sho^  - 
ing  the  disease  to  be  a  true  gastritis,  or  inflammation  of  the 
stomach. 

Causes. — The  causes  of  the  disease  are  sudden  changes  in 
the  food,  or  in  its  condition.  Sometimes  the  consumption  of 
damp  or  mouldy*  hay  will  produce  it.  More  frequently  it 
appears  when  the  animals  eat  ravenously  of  spring  grass, 
clover  or  green  corn.  So  also  an  excess  of  corn  meal,  cotton 
cake,  or  similar  dry  and  heating  food;  or  irritating  sub- 
stances, as  wild  mustard,  or  various  poisonous  articles  are 
liable  to  bring  it  on. 

Symptoms. — A  highly  excited  state  of  the  nervous  system 
is  a  distinguishing  symptom.  It  is  shown  by  a  glaring  eye, 
madness,  staggers  or  fits,  or  by  stupidity  and  palsy  of  the 
hind  quarters. 

The  bowels  are  at  first  loose,  but  this  is  soon  followed  by 
an  obstinate  constipation.  The  animal  often  strains  vio- 
lently, and  passes  both  blood  and  watery  substances  ;  and  a 
hard  swelling  may  sometimes  be  detected  on  the  right  side, 
owing  to  impaction  of  the  stomach.  In  many  cases  swelling 
of  the  whole  bowels  and  stomachs  comes  on  early  in  the  di- 
sease, causing  severe  colicky  pains,  and  greatly  adding  to  the 
animal's  suffering. 

After  death,  the  contents  of  the  third  stomach  are  gen- 
erally found  hard  and  dry,  the  coats  of  the  fourth  stomach 
red  and  inflamed,  or  pale  and  soft,  and  the  bowels  filled  with 
gas  and  w^atery,  half  digested  food.  The  fluid  condition  of 
the  contents  of  the  intestines  shows  that  the  obstinate  consti- 
pation is  due  to  palsy  of  the  bowels. 


Fardel-Bound,  295 

Treatfiient. — The  old  treatment  of  this  disease  was  bleed- 
ing largely  until  the  animal  was  faint ;  giving  it  a  full  sized 
dose  of  purgative  medicine,  and  pouring  cold  water  from  a 
height  upon  its  head. 

Very  few  surgeons  would  follow  this  plan  now.  Recog- 
nizing: that  the  disease  is  an  inflammation  of  the  coats  of  the 
stomach  and  bowels,  to  give  strong  purges  is  to  rasp  and  irri- 
tate still  more  the  inflamed  membrane,  and  to  lessen  the 
chances  for  life  which  the  beast  has  left  him ;  and  to  bleed 
in  a  disease  where  death  often  comes  through  exhaustion,  is 
contrary  to  all  prudent  doctrine. 


Therefore   it 

is   best  to  begin  with 

a  sedative  and  an 

alkali,  as  :- 

— 

No.  328. 

Extract  of  belladonna, 
Bicarbonate  of  soda, 

2  drachms. 
1  oz. 

Mix  in  a 

quart  of  water  and  give  three  or  four  times  a  day. 

Or— 

No.  329. 

Tincture  of  aconite  root, 
Lime  water. 
Sweet  oil,  each 

20  drops. 
4  oz. 

Add  to  a 

quart 

of  inilk  and  give  three  times 

a  day. 

Give  the  animal  plenty  of  milk  and  water  to  drink,  and 
as  soon  as  the  severest  symptoms  are  abated,  horn  down  a 
quart  of  linseed  oil,  repeating  it  every  twenty-four  hours  till 
it  brings  on  a  moderately  free  evacuation  of  the  bowels. 

Professor  Strangeway's  treatment,  which  was  very  success- 
ful, was  as  follows ;  He  gave,  to  begin  with,  such  a  dose  as 
this : — 

No.  330.  Laudanum,  2  oz. 

Castor  oil,  IJ  pints. 

To  be  given  at  one  dose. 

When  the  feverish  symptoms  had  to  some  degree  abated, 
he  prescribed : — 

No.  331.  Sulphate  of  magnesia,  10  oz. 

Sulphuric  acid,  20  drops. 

Quinine,  30  grains. 
Mix  with  a  quart  of  water  for  one  dose. 


296  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

After  this  he  kept  the  animal  quiet,  and  did  not  disturb  its 
bowels  with  any  medicine  for  three  or  four  days,  when,  if 
the  constipation  continued,  the  last  prescription  was  repeated. 
He  found  it  very  seldom  necessary  to  do  this. 

A  peculiar  form  of  impaction  of  the  third  stomach  is  of  fre- 
quent occurrence  in  the  corn  producing  districts  of  the  United 
States,  where  at  times  it  has  severely  devastated  the  herds. 
This  disorder  formed  the  subject  of  a  special  report  to  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  by  Prof.  Gamgee,  published  in 
1871.  He  found  that  it  was  owing  to  the  cattle  eating  quan- 
tities of  smutty  or  ergoted  corn,  and  the  disease  is  conse- 
quently most  frequent  after  wet  seasons. 

The  cattle  are  constipated.  The  animal  lies  down,  has  an 
unthrifty  coat,  dry  muzzle,  dull  eye,  trembles  easily,  perhaps 
shivers,  or  seems  delirious.  One  of  two  conditions  predomi- 
nate ;  one  of  stupor,  staggering  and  sluggishness ;  or  else  of 
excitement,  wildness  and  apparent  blindness.  The  animal 
dies  speedily,  in  from  one  to  four  days.  At  death  the  third 
stomach  is  always  found  firm,  distended,  and  the  food  caked 
between  the  folds,  while  the  fourth  stomach  contains  but  a 
scant  quantity  of  greenish,  half  digested  matter. 

Almost  all  animals  die  unless  relieved ;  but  fortunately  it 
is  not  difficult  to  treat  them  so  successfully  that  the  danger 
can  be  averted.  At  first  a  purgative  must  be  administered. 
"The  one  Prof.  Gamgee  recommends  is : — 

No.  332. 


Sulphate  of  magnesia, 

lib. 

Powdered  aloes, 

4  drachms. 

Powdered  ginger, 

2  drachms. 

Water, 

1  quart. 

Give  in  warm  linseed  tea,  oat  meal  gruel  or  water. 

Warm  w^ater  injections  are  of  the  highest  importance,  and 
they  can  be  given  in  such  cases  most  advantageously  by  the 
funnel  described  on  page  43.  About  a  quart  or  two  of 
lukewarm  water,  without   any  addition  but  a  little  sweet 


Obstruction  of  the  Bowels,  297 

oil  to  lubricate  the  instrument,  should  be  poured  into  the  rec- 
tum every  half  hour. 

On  the  second  day  it  may  be  found  that  the  medicine  does 
not  act  very  freely.     The  best  agent  to  be  given  then  is  : — - 

No.  333.  Carbonate  of  ammonia,  ^  drachm, 

Linseed  tea.  1  quart. 

Mix  for  a  drench  twice  or  thrice  a  day. 

As  soon  as  the  appetite  returns,  a  succulent  diet,  such  as 
grass,  sweet  hay,  boiled  turnips,  etc.,  will  complete  the  cure. 

OBSTRUCTION  OF   THE  BOWELS. 

Definition. — A  closure  of  the  intestinal  tube,  either  by 
twisting  upon  itself,  when  it  is  known  as  "  gut  tie ''  or  "  the 
cords ;"  or  by  being  involved  in  the  sac  of  an  irreducible  rup- 
ture ;  or  other  mechanical  means. 

Causes. — In  the  ox  such  a  condition  may  arise  from  cas- 
tration carelessly  performed,  as  was  pointed  out  by  Professor 
Dick,  of  Edinburgh ;  or  from  dust  balls  or  foreign  substances 
becoming  impacted  in  the  bowels  and  setting  up  inflamma- 
tion which  binds  the  intestines  in  a  cord ;  or  from  kicks  and 
severe  blows,  leading  to  the  same  result.  Though  perhaps 
more  common  in  the  ox,  it  is  not,  as  Mr.  Youatt  taught,  at 
all  confined  to  that  animal. 

Symptoms. — These  are  obstinate  and  absolute  constipa- 
tion, and  excessive  pain,  coming  on  in  paroxysms  of  atro- 
cious severity.  The  belly  swells,  the  ears  and  horns  are  cold, 
the  eyes  are  indicative  of  intense  suffering,  the  mouth  and 
muzzle  turn  pale,  and  the  breathing  is  laborious  and  heard 
at  a  distance.  The  disease  continues  for  six  or  eight  days, 
and  death  comes  from  exhaustion. 

Treatment. — The  result  is  usually  fatal.  Yet  cases  are 
on  record  where  recovery  took  place,  and  the  obstruction  was 
overcome. 


298  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

Purges  of  all  kinds  are  utterly  out  of  place.  They  are 
both  useless  and  harmful.  The  only  medicine  to  give  by 
the  mouth  is  the  following : — 

No.  334.  Lavidanum,  2  oz. 

Extract  of  belladonna,  2  drachms. 

Essence  of  ginger,  1  drachm. 

Eub  down  the  extract  in  a  pint  of  linseed  tea,  and  give  the  whole 
every  two  or  three  hours. 

No. fears  must  be  had  of  over  dosing,  as  it  is  a  hand  to 
hand  fight  with  death. 

Large  clysters  of  warm  water  should  be  given  by  the  rec- 
tum, and  repeated  every  two  hours.  In  some  instances  the 
addition  of  a  spoonful  of  tobacco  tea  to  these  clysters  have 
brought  about  severe  nausea,  and  with  it  a  relaxation  of  the 
"  tie,"  followed  by  prompt  relief. 

THE  YELLOWS— CONGESTION  AND  INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  LIVER. 

This  is  by  no  means  so  common  a  disease  among  cattle  as 
many  farriers  would  have  us  believe.  It  is  more  frequent 
in  the  Southern  than  in  the  Northern  States,  in  the  late  sum- 
mer and  fall  than  at  other  seasons,  and  in  milk  cows  and 
stall  fed  steers  than  in  other  members  of  the  herd. 

Causes. — Over  feeding  with  rich  food,  the  use  of  heating 
condition  powders,  sudden  changes  of  the  weather  from  hot  to 
cold,  producing  chills,  excessive  milking,  gall  stones,  and  old 
age. 

Symptoms. — The  animal  "  loses  the  cud,"  as  the  herdmen 
say ;  that  is,  he  ceases  to  ruminate.  He  appears  dull  and 
languid,  is  hide  bound,  and  has  a  rough,  unhealthy  coat. 
He  is  loath  to  move,  loses  appetite  and  is  generally  listless 
and  sluggish.     Sometimes  he  staggers  and  seems  w^ak. 

On  examining  the  whites  of  the  eyes  and  the  interior  of 
the  mouth,  it  is  found  that  they  have  a  dull,  muddy,  yellow- 
ish cast.     The  bowek  are  generally  costive  or  have  a  loose,  ill- 


Liver  Diseases,  299 

smelling  scouring.  In  cows,  the  secretion  of  milk  is  lessened ; 
and  in  tlie  pasture  they  wander  off  hj  themselves  in  a  de- 
jected manner. 

Treatment. — This  should  begin  by  changing  the  animal's 
food  and  surroundings.  If  it  is  a  stall-fed  steer,  he  should 
be  turned  into  the  yard  or  field,  given  plain  sweet  hay  or 
bran  mashes,  with  plenty  of  water.  If  it  is  a  milk  cow  on 
a  rich  pasture,  she  should  be  stabled  in  a  roomy  stall  and 
fed  on  light  slops,  her  coat  well  rubbed  and  curried,  and 
milked  only  moderately. 

For  medicines,  a  moderate  warm  laxative  is  in  order,  as : — 

Ko.  335.  Powdered  aloes, 

Powdered  ginger,  each,  J  oz. 

Castile  soap  (scraped  fine), 

Peruvian  bark  (powdered),  each    1  oz. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  warm  water  for  a  drench. 

This  may  be  repeated  once  every  three  or  four  days. 
Another  excellent  combination  is  to  use  small  doses  of 
turpentine  and  salts,  as : — 

No.  336.  Sulphate  of  magnesia, 

Common  salt,  each  ^  lb. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  1  to  2  oz. 

Slippery  elm  mucilage,  1  quart. 

Give  every  day  or  every  other  day  for  a  week  or  two. 

The  following  also  will  be  found  efficient  in  slow  cases.     It 
is  a  modification  of  a  formula  of  Prof.  Law : — 

No.  337.  Podophyllin,  ^  20  grains. 

Powdered  nux  vomica,  1  drachm. 

Sulphate  of  magnesia, 
Powdered  gentian,  each  1  oz. 

Mix  in  a  quart  of  gruel  or  linseed  tea  for  a  drench  every  day  or  two. 

When  jaundice  is  brought  on  by  a  gall  stone,  we  have,  in 
addition  to  the  yellow  skin  as  seen  in  the  mouth,  and  the 
jaundiced  eye,  heaving  of  the  flanks,  a  hard,  rapid  pulse,  no 
appetite,  but  an  insatiable  thirst.  The  ears  are  alternately 
cold  and  hot,  the  urine  changes  to  a  transparent  yellow,  dark 


300  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

red  or  brown,  the  bowels  are  constipated,  and  when  the  dung 
passes  it  is  in  hard  and  black  masses.  For  this  condition  a 
full  dose  of  salts  is  demanded,  combined  with  opium  to  re- 
lieve the  pain,  as  : — 

No.  338.  Sulphate  of  magnesia,  1  lb. 

Croton  oil,  20  drops. 

Laudanum,  2  oz. 
Mix  in  a  quart  of  linseed  tea. 

Mashes  should  be  given  to  hasten  and  increase  the  action 
of  the  physic,  and  the  animal  should  be  turned  out  to  grass 
during  the  day. 

RED  WATER— BLACK  WATER— BLOODY  URINE. 

Definition. — A  disease  of  cattle  characterized  by  the  pas- 
sage of  reddish,  chocolate  colored  or  black  urine,  the  color- 
ing matter  being  derived  from  the  blood. 

The  exact  nature  of  this  disease  is  not  yet  clearly  ascer- 
tained. The  urine  always  contains  albumen  and  broken- 
down  corpuscles  ;  but  the  kidneys  indicate  no  inflammation, 
their  color  is  lighter  than  natural,  the  tubules  are  enlarged, 
and  sometimes  their  lower  surfaces  spotted  with  effused 
blood.  It  is  probable,  therefore,  that  the  disease  is  a  general 
degeneration  of  the  system,  showing  itself  by  an  early  and 
obscure  form  of  kidney  disease,  similar  to  some  of  the 
phases  of  Bright's  disease  in  man. 

Cause. — This  is  well  ascertained  to  be  scanty  and  un- 
healthy food.  Indeed,  it  has  been  called  in  England  "the 
disease  of  the  poor  man's  cow."  It  is  quite  common  in  cows 
two  or  three  weeks  after  calving,  when  they  are  fed  on 
turnips  grown  on  swamp  lands.  It  is  also  frequent  in  bad 
weather,  when  food  is  scanty,  and  of  inferior  quality. 

Symptoms. — The  characteristic  symptom  is  the  color  of 
the  urine.     With  this  are  associated  great  prostration,  palpita- 


Bed  Water  and  Black   Water,  301 

tlon  of  the  heart,  a  rapid  arid  trembling  pulse,  and  at  first 
diarrhea,  which  is  followed  by  obstinate  constipation. 

In  the  form  which  attacks  cows  after  calving,  there  is,  in 
addition  to  the  above  signs,  loss  of  milk,  and  the  vagina  has 
a  contracted  or  puckered-up  appearance.  The  milk  some- 
times froths  unusually  in  the  pail,  and  on  standing  deposits 
a  reddish  sediment. 

The  black  water  is  said  by  some  writers  to  appear  after 
the  red,  and  to  be  a  sign  of  the  advance  of  the  disease  to  a 
more  serious  stage.  When  the  change  takes  place  from  red 
to  black  water,  the  animal  often  stales  several  times  of  a 
natural  color. 

Treatment. — As  the  complaint  is  essentially  one  of  faulty 
or  insufficient  food,  the  most  pressing  rule  is  to  put  the  ani- 
mal at  once  on  sound  and  abundant  diet.  It  should  be  taken 
from  a  low  lying  or  scanty  pasturage,  to  one  well  drained 
and  set  in  succulent  grass  ;  or  if  stall-fed,  turnips  should  be 
discarded,  and  plenty  of  boiled  meal,  corn,  bran  and  sound 
hay  be  supplied.  Besides  this,  rich  animal  food  is  of  gitat 
value,  as  half  a  dozen  eggs  beat  up  in  half  a  gallon  of  milk 
several  times  a  day. 

The  violent  purgative  medicines,  and  the  strong  as- 
tringents so  much  and  so  indiscreetly  urged  by  old  writers, 
should  be  avoided.  The  bowels  do  best  with  moderate  doses 
of  oil,  as  : — 

No.  839.  Castor  oil,  2  oz.  : 

Linseed  oil,  1  pt. 

Give  at  a  dose,  and  repeat  every  two  days  for  three  or  four  times. 

The  diarrhea  generally  present  at  the  outset  of  the  disease 
should  not  be  checked,  as  it  is  an  effort  of  nature  to  relieve 
the  overloaded  circulation.  And  for  the  constipation  which 
follows,  the  above  oil  mixture  will  be  sufficient  to  relieve  it. 

Along  with  the  above,  a  chlorate  of  potash  and  iron  mix- 
ture is  always  of  great  benefit : — 


302  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

No.  340.  Chlorate  of  potash,  i  oz. 

Tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,         J  oz. 
Mix  in  a  pint  of  thin  gruel  for  a  dose :  to  be  repeated  twice  a  day. 

Mr.  Gamgee  speaks  well  of  the  following : — 

No.  341.  Sulphuric  acid,  1  drachm. 

Laudanum,  i  oz. 

Molasses,  4  oz. 

Mix  with  a  pint  of  water  in  warm  gruel  and  give  daily. 

Turpentine  is  advocated  by  Mr.  Dun,  Mr.  Downing  and 
others,  as : — 

No.  342.  Oil  of  turpentine,  .;  2  oz. 

Nitrate  of  potash,  3  oz. 

Iron  rust,  1  oz. 
Mix  for  two  doses,  night  and  morning,  in  gruel. 

The  sulphate  of  iron  (copperas)  may  be  substituted  for 
the  iron  rust. 

DYSEITTERY— BLOODY  FLTJX— SCOTTRING  ROT. 

This  disease  has  already  been  described  as  it  occurs  in  the 
horse  (page  143).  But  it  is  much  more  frequently  seen  in 
cattle,  where  it  has  received  the  name  "  scouring  rot,"  when 
it  appears  in  its  chronic  form. 

Symptoms. — In  cattle  the  acute  form  is  attended  with 
shivering,  arching  of  the  back,  and  tenderness  about  the 
loins.  The  animal  grunts,  yawns,  grinds  its  teeth,  and  at 
short  intervals  discharges  from  its  bowels  a  thin  and  ill- 
smelling  dung,  mixed  with  blood  and  pus.  There  is  much 
straining  of  the  lower  bowel,  and  the  anus  looks  sore  and 
red.  There  is  pain  in  the  belly  indicated  by  arching  of  the 
back,  whisking  of  the  tail,  and  swelling  of  the  bowels.  The 
thirst  is  excessive,  the  animal  is  dull  and  stupid  and  loses 
flesh  rapidly. 

In  the  chronic  form  the  thinness  is  marked,  the  hide  is 
rough,  unhealthy  and  often  mangey,  the  teeth  are  loose,  and 
the  dung  bloody   and   fetid.     The  eyes  sink  in  the  head, 


Dysentery,  303 

dropsical  swellings  appear  about  the  lower  jaw  and  legs,  and 
the  creature  dies  exhausted. 

Treatment. — In  either  form  a  change  of  diet  is  absolutely 

necessary  to  a  restoration  to  health.     If  stabled,  put  on  dry 

food,  and  given  a  pint  of  linseed   oil  every  day  or   every 

other  day,  most  slight  cases  of  the  acute  kind  will  rapidly 

recover.     It  may  be  w^ell  if  the  action  of  the  bowels  does 

not  cease  promptly,  to  give  a  mild  astringent,  as : — 

No.  343.  Powdered  alum, 

Powdered  ginger,  each,  5^  oz. 

Mix  and  give  in  a  quart  of  milk  once  or  twice   a  day  till  tlie  dis- 
charge moderates. 

Or, 

No.  344.  Powdered  galls, 

Ipecacuanha,  each  J  ot. 

Mix  and  give  as  above. 

The  chronic  form  is  a  very  obstinate  disease,  and  not  un- 
frequently  baffles  every  attempt  to  cure  it.  Here,  too,  close 
attention  to  diet  stands  in  the  first  line  of  treatment.  Some 
writers  recommend  that  all  vegetable  food  be  withheld,  and 
the  animal  fed  on  broths,  thin  soups,  the  blood  of  other  ani- 
mals and  milk.  The  following  is  an  excellent  food  in  such 
cases : — 

No.  345.  Fresh  mutton  suet,  2  lbs. 

Fresh  milk,  6  quarts. 

Mix  with  gentle  heat  over  a  slow  fire  and  give  while  warm. 

Another  valuable  form  of  diet  is : 

No.  346.  Cod  liver  oil,  2  to  4  oz. 

Fresh  eggs,  4  to  5. 

Mix  thoroughly  in  a  quart  of  fresh  milk  and  give  twice  a  day. 

To  support  these  articles  of  diet,  we  may  choose  a  gentle 
and  stimulating  astringent,  as : — 

No.  347.  Calcined  rhubarb  in  powder,     1  oz. 

Powdered  chalk,  2  oz. 

Powdered  opium,  2  drachms. 

Mix  as  a  ball  or  in  the  food.    To  be  given  every  morning. 


304  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

When  the  dysentery  is  of  an  epidemic  character,  Mr. 
Gamgee  recommends  that  the  early  feverish  symptoms  be 
subdued  with  twenty  or  thirty  drops  of  the  tincture  of  acon- 
ite root,  given  twice  daily ;  and  this  followed,  when  the  acute 
symptoms  subside,  with  one  of  the  following : — 

No.  348.  Chloride  of  lime, 

Tincture  of  arnica,  each  2  drachms. 

Nitric  ether,  1  oz. 

To  be  given  two  or  three  times  a  day  in  gruel. 

Or, 

No.  349.  Solution  of  potash, 

Wine  of  ipecac,  of  each  1  oz. 

Tincture  of  cantharides,  ^  cz. 

To  be  given  in  a  quart  of  warm  gruel  daily. 

When  the  discharges  are  slimy,  bloody  and  weakening, 
sometimes  rapid  improvement  is  derived  from  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

No.  350.  Corrosive  sublimate.  8  grains. 

Water,  1  pint. 

Give  one  to  two  tablespoonfuls  of  this  in  a  quart  of  water  every  two 
hours.     The  dose  must,  on  no  account,  be  greater  than  this. 

This  is  well  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Finlay  Dun  and  others. 

MILK  SICKNESS— THE  TEEMBLES. 

Definition. — A  disease  of  unknown  origin,  affecting  the 
blood  and  nervous  system,  strictly  confined  to  certain  locali- 
ties in  the  Western  and  Southern  States. 

Cause. — This  very  strange  disease  has  completely  puzzled 
all  observers  to  account  for  its  appearance.  It  is  developed 
in  cattle  by  pasturing  in  certain  definite  localities,  a  particu- 
lar meadow,  mountain  side  or  bottom.  Many  have  attrib- 
uted it  to  eating  some  poisonous  plants,  especially  the  white 
snake  root,  Eupatorium  ageratoides.  But  the  flora  of  the 
localities  in  question  has  been  repeatedly  scrutinized  by 
competent  botanists,  and  no  plant  whatever  of  a  poisonous 


Milk  Sickness,  305 

character  discovered,  (and  it  appears  where  the  snake  root  is 
unknown,  and  is  unknown  where  that  plant  is  common), 
have  assigned  it  to  drinking  water,  and  others  again  to  an 
"  emanation  from  the  soil."  But  all  these  are  guesses  only. 
It  is  common  in  some  parts  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Southern 
Illinois,  Tennessee  and  South  Carolina. 

One  of  its  most  serious  features  is  that  it  is  communicable 
to  man  through  the  milk  of  diseased  animals ;  and  it  is  in 
many  instances  incurable,  and  finally  fatal. 

So  concentrated  is  the  poison  that  hides  of  animals  which 
have  died  of  it,  if  eaten  by  rats  and  mice,  will  destroy 
them  as  certainly  as  "ratsbane,"  as  has  been  proven  on  un- 
questionable authority.  Horses  and  sheep  are  also  liable  to 
attacks  of  it. 

S3nnptoms.  — The  principal  symptoms  of  the  trembles  are 
great  weakness  and  prostration  of  the  nervous  system,  dull- 
ness and  drooping,  accompanied  by  obstinate  constipation  and 
colic.  The  animals  are  unable  to  make  any  but  the  shortest 
journeys,  and  on  the  least  fatigue  stagger  and  tremble,  or 
drop  down. 

Should  they  recover,  or  apparently  so,  and  resume  their 
usual  condition  of  health,  this  nervous  exhaustion  remains, 
and  they  are  never  able  to  bear  a  long  march.  Animals 
which  die  of  the  disease  usually  present  an  acute  inflamma- 
tion of  the  intestinal  canal. 

Treatment. — This  is  either  by  large  doses  of  stimulants 
or  by  full  quantities  of  salts  and  other  purgatives,  aided  by 
injections  to  overcome  the  constipation ;  or  by  both  these 
methods  combined,  as  occasion  demands. 

The  pasturage  should  be  changed  and  the  suspected  field 
ploughed  up  and  cropped ;  or  if  it  is  a  grove,  it  should  be 
cut  down,  stubbed  and  tilled.     Whatever  the  cause  of  the 

20 


306  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

disease  may  be,  it  has  been  conclusively  shown  that  it  disap- 
pears by  cultivation  of  the  infected  district. 

As  the  milk  of  poor  and  underfed  animals  is  always  much 
more  dangerous  than  that  of  well  fed  ones,  a  full  diet  and 
tonics  are  clearly  demanded  in  all  cases  where  the  trembles 
have  showed  themselves. 

RHEUMATISM— FELOU. 

This  disease  has  already  been  spoken  of  as  it  affects  the 
horse,  and  the  symptoms  and  treatment  in  cattle  are  substan- 
tially the  same.     (See  page  178). 

The  advantages  of  blisters  are  conspicuous,  and  their  use 
should  not  be  neglected.  Nitrate  of  potash  (saltpeter)  should 
be  given  to  the  ox  in  larger  doses  than  to  the  horse,  say  two 
ounces  twice  a  day ;  and  a  purge,  half  a  pound  to  a  pound 
of  sulphate  of  magnesia  (epsom  salts)  is  preferable  to  aloes. 

Cows,  when  suffering  from  rheumatism,  will  often  lie  down 
and  refuse  to  rise.  In  such  cases  repeated  change  of  bedding 
is  absolutely  necessary.  The  animal  must  be  kept  dry,  clean 
and  warm.  The  inflamed  joints  should  be  wrapped  in  dry 
flannel,  and  protected  from  injury. 

Rheumatism  in  cattle  is  more  apt  than  in  any  other  ani- 
mal to  pass  into  suppuration  and  sloughing  of  the  joint, 
causino:  what  is  sometimes  called  "  bustian  foul."  This  con- 
dition  is  incurable,  and  when  it  occurs  the  animal  should  be 
slaughtered  at  once,  to  put  it  out  of  its  misery. 

Treatment. — Of  several  plans  of  treatment  specially 
adapted  to  cattle  we  may  mention  that  by  sulphur.  This  drug 
has  an  old  and  probably  just  reputation  for  chronic  cases. 

No.  351.  Flour  of  sulphur,  8  oz. 

Ginger,  J  oz. 

Give  in  gruel  every  third  day. 

Small  doses  of  turpentine  combined  with  an  alkali  have 
also  received  praise  in  responsible  quarters,  as : — 


Treatment  of  Hheumatism.  307 

No.  352.  Oil  of  turpentine,  1  oz. 

Bicarbonate  of  soda,  1  to  2  oz. 

This  amount  in  gruel  every  day  or  two. 

Another  frequently  valuable  mixture  for  old  cases  is : — • 

No.  353.  Powdered  guaiacum, 

Caraway  seeds. 

Aniseed,  of  each  2  or  3  drachms. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  a  decoction  of  willow  bark  every  day. 

The  willow  bark  contains  salicin,  a  drug  of  much  value 
in  rheumatic  complaints. 

Of  embrocations  to  relieve  the  affected  joints,  those  con- 
taining turpentine  are  among  the  best,  as : — 

No.  354.  Neat'sfoot  oil,  4  oz. 

Oil  of  origanum. 

Oil  of  turpentine, 

Laudanum,  of  each  1  oz. 

Mix  and  apply  by  gentle  and  thorough  friction. 

No.  355.  Olive  oil,  2  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine. 

Strong  solution  of  ammonia,  each  1  oz. 
Mix.     This  is  a  strongly  exciting  liniment. 

These  are  very  suitable  in  the  "  lumbago/'  or  pain  in  the 
loins,  which  cows  and  oxen  of  rheumatic  constitution  are  apt 
to  be  troubled  with.  In  such  cases,  besides  friction  with  the 
above,  it  is  well  to  keep  the  lower  bowel  free  with  warm  in- 
jections of  water  or  soap  and  water,  and  to  cover  the  hind 
quarters  of  the  animal  with  rubber  cloth. 

This  variety  of  rheumatism  is  sometimes  known  as  '^  felon,'' 
when  in  its  acuter  form.  The  beast  is  then  more  or  less  off 
his  food.  His  coat  is  staring,  his  eye  dull,  his  nose  is  dry 
and  his  back  or  loins  are  sore,  so  that  he  flinches  when  the  hand 
is  pressed  along  the  sides  of  the  backbone,  and  arches  his 
back.  Often  with  this  his  teeth  loosen.  In  such  cases,  if 
he  is  well  housed  and  given  the  following  cordial,  he  will 
generally  soon  recover : — 


508  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

No.  356.  Turmeric, 

Fenugreek, 
Powdered  aniseed, 
Powdered  liquorice,  of  each        1  ox. 

Mix,  and  giv».  in  a  quart  of  ale  daily  for  a  few  days. 

A  respectable  English  writer,  Mr.  M.  M.  Milburn,  in  his 
work  on  Dairy  Husbandry j  recommends  a  singular  opera- 
tion for  this  complaint,  which  he  says  he  has  tried  in  hun- 
dreds of  cases  with  entire  success.  It  is  to  cut  the  under  side 
of  the  tail.  This  relieves  the  back  and  fastens  the  teeth. 
The  operation  is  thus  performed  :  Feel  for  a  soft  place  on 
the  under  side  of  the  tail.  The  knobs  felt  are  the  joints ; 
between  them  lies  the  bone.  Cut  the  skin  across  at  the  soft 
part ;  it  will  bleed  for  eight  or  ten  minutes.  When  the 
bleeding  has  ceased,  tie  up  the  tail  with  a  piece  of  linen  cloth. 
As  the  operation  is  simple  and  safe,  and  may  act  in  some 
efficient  curative  manner,  it  is  worth  remembering. 

FOTTL  IN  THE  FOOT— FOUL  CLAW. 

Definition. — A  disease  of  cattle  characterized  by  inflam- 
mation and  suppuration  of  the  substance  between  the  cleft  of 
the  hoof,  and  occasionally  extending  to  the  bones  and  joints 
of  the  foot,  producing  great  lameness,  with  much  fever,  loss 
of  condition,  and  even  death.  It  is  most  commonly,  but  not 
invariably,  seen  in  the  hind  feet. 

Causes. — These  are :  Overgrowth  of  the  hoof,  causing  an 
excessive  strain  on  its  parts ;  the  irritation  of  pebbles,  thorns, 
dirt  or  other  foreign  substance  caught  between  the  claws ;  and 
sometimes  a  general  scrofulous  character  of  the  constitution. 

S3finptoniS. — These  are  evident  in  the  lameness  of  the 
animal,  and  in  the  condition  of  the  foot.  Where  it  arises 
from  a  scrofulous  condition  of  the  blood,  it  is  apt  to  be  asso- 
ciated with  the  signs  of  consumption,  as  described  on  page 


1.    XOSE  BAG  FOR  GIVING  INHALATION.  2.    BANDAGE  FOR  FOUL  CLAW. 

3.    THE  VACCINE  DISEASE  ON  A  TEAT. 


Foul  in  the  Foot  309 

287.     In  these  instances  the  efforts  at  cure  will  not  be  likely 
to  prove  successful. 

Treatment. — If  attended  to  in  time,  the  disease  is  not 
difficult  to  manage,  except  when  it  is  owing  to  scrofula.  All 
loose  horn  should  be  removed,  and  all  dirt  and  foreign  sub- 
stances. The  wound,  if  much  inflamed,  should  then  be  poul- 
ticed for  a  day  or  two  ;  and  after  that  dressed  with  one  of 
the  astringent  applications  given  below  (Nos.  357-9). 

If  the  pus  has  burrowed  much  in  the  surrounding  tissue, 
it  is  best  to  syringe  the  foot  thoroughly  with  a  solution  of 
carbolic  acid,  one  part  of  the  acid  to  ten  or  twelve  of  water ; 
and  having  done  this,  soak  small  pledgets  of  tow  in  the  solu- 
tion and  fasten  them  in  the  wound  with  bandages.  The  ani- 
mal should  be  kept  in  a  clean  stable,  or  on  a  dry,  short  pas- 
turage. 

Some  neglected  cases  are  met  with,  where  the  foul  has  ex- 
tended into  the  foot  and  up  as  high  as  the  fetlock  ;  the  claws 
are  separated  by  the  swelling,  the  bones  are  attacked  and 
rotten,  the  stench  is  overpowering  and  the  animal  ^^dead 
lame."  Cattle  so  troubled  will  give  up  the  struggle  for  life ; 
will  refuse  their  food,  lose  flesh,  lie  down  and  die. 

But  even  such  desperate  cases  may  be  often  cured  com- 
pletely by  amputation — taking  off  the  foot  through  the  fet- 
lock joint;  or,  if  this  is  too  diseased,  by  sawing  through  the 
canon  bone  above  it.  This  is  not  a  difficult  nor  dangerous 
operation,  and  gives  the  owner  a  chance  to  feed  up  the  ani- 
mal for  the  butcher,  which  should  be  done  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. The  animal  should  be  cast,  a  sharp  knife  used,  and 
abundantly  long  flaps  of  sound  skin  and  flesh  be  left  on  each 
side  of  the  Kmb,  to  fold  over  and  cover  the  ends  of  the  bone. 
Bleeding  should  be  prevented  by  a  tourniquety  and  the  arte- 
ries carefully  tied.     Carbolized  water  is  the  best  dressing  for 


310  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

the  stump,  as  it  is  not  only  disinfecting  and  healing,  but 
keeps  away  the  flies. 

Of  local  applications  to  foul  claw  there  are  many,  as  : — 

No.  357.  Oil  of  turpentine. 

Lard,  of  each  4  oz. 

Powdered  sulphate  of  copper,     1  oz. 
Melt  together  the  lard  and  turpentine  and  add  the  copper. 

No.  358.  Carbolic  acid,  1  drachm. 

Water,  6  oz. 

Apply  by  a  brush  or  feather,  and  cover  with  a  piece  of  tow  wet  with 
it. 


No.  359. 

Chloride  of  zinc, 

10  to  20  grains. 

Water, 

1  oz. 

Use  as  the  last. 

Saturated  solutions  of  alum,  or  of  sulphate  of  copper,  or 
the  sulphate  in  crystal,  or  the  pencil  of  nitrate  of  silver,  may 
also  be  used  to  remove  the  diseased  slough.  Mr.  Youatt's 
suggestion  of  a  poultice  mixed  with  one-fourth  oil  of  tur- 
pentine is  useful  where  it  is  difficult  to  cleanse  the  hoof. 

LICE,  TICKS,  AND  OTHER  VERMIIT. 

Cattle,  cows  and  calves,  especially  when  in  poor  condition, 
are  very  subject  to  attacks  of  several  species  of  lice,  and  as 
these  pests  propagate  with  incredible  rapidity,  they  infect 
other  stock  as  well  as  the  stables  and  barns.  Hence,  no  time 
should  be  lost  in  attacking  them  vigorously ;  and  at  the 
same  time  the  cattle  are  treated,  the  stables  should  be  thor- 
oughly cleaned  and  whitewashed,  and  the  posts,  stones  and 
other  scratching  places  be  painted  with  crude  petroleum  or 
gas  tar. 

On  a  previous  page  (260)  we  have  suggested  various 
remedies  for  lice  in  horses,  any  of  which  may  also  be  used 
in  cattle.  None,  however,  of  a  poisonous  character  should 
be  used  on  these  latter  animals  on  account  of  their  habit  of 
licking  themselves,  and  each  other.  A  useful  wash,  and  a 
justly  popular  one,  is  a  strong  decoction  of  tobacco  leaves, 


Lice  on  Cattle.  311 

saturated  with  rock  salt.  With  this  the  hide  should  be  well 
saturated  several  times  at  intervals  of  three  or  four  days. 
This  repetition  is  absolutely  essential  to  success,  as  the  nits  in 
which  the  lice  store  their  eggs,  and  which  can  readily  be  seen 
fastened  to  the  hair,  have  a  covering  of  a  waxy  material 
wholly  insoluble  in  water  or  mild  alkalies.  They  all  hatch 
out  in  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  by  repeating  the  wash,  the 
young  are  killed  before  they  have  had  time  to  deposit  other 
nits. 

The  covering  of  the  nits  is,  however,  readily  soluble  in 
alcohol.  Therefore,  the  most  effective  of  all  louse-killing 
preparations  are  made  by  pouring  common  spirits  of  some 
kind  on  tobacco  leaves,  allowing  it  to  stand  for  a  few  days 
then  bottling  for  use.  Such  tinctures  of  stavesacre  seeds,  and 
of  cocculus  indicus  are  also  very  promptly  destructive  to 
vermin  of  all  kinds  in  the  hide  and  fleece  of  animals;  but 
these  two  last  mentioned  drugs  are  actively  poisonous  when 
taken  internally,  and  must  not  be  carelessly  used.  It  may  be 
said  of  the  cocculus,  that  it  is  so  intensely  bitter  that  we 
question  whether  a  cow  would  lick  her  hide  with  that  flavor 
on  it. 

An  excellent  and  cheap  oily  preparation  is : — 

No.  360.  Linseed  oil,  4  parts. 

Common  creosote,  1  part. 

Mix  well  together. 

Another  is : — 

No.  361.  Flowers  of  sulphur,  1  lb. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  ^  pt. 

Train  oil,  4  pints. 

Mix  the  sulphur  with  the  train  oil  bj  gentle  heat,  and  when  cold  stir 
in  the  turpentine. 

Ticks  which  infest  live  stock  should  not  be  pulled  off,  but 
snipped  in  two  with  a  pair  of  scissors,  and  the  head  half 
which  remains  touched  with  a  feather  dipped  in  oil  of  tur- 
pentine. 


312  Diseases  of  CatUe, 

No.  362.         Common  carbolic  acid,  1  oz. 

Whale  or  neats  foot  oil,  1  qt. 

Mix  for  outward  use. 

This  both  destroys  -vermin  and  keeps  away  flies  from  ani- 
mals. 


FACIAL   EXPRESSIONS    OF    CATTLE    IN    DISEASE. 


Diseases  of  Cows,  313 

CHAPTER  III. 

DISEASES    OF    THE    COW    IN    PREGNANCY    AND    CALVING. 

Barrenness  or  Sterility, 

Abortion — Slinking — Slipping — Dropping  the  Calf, 

Calving  or  Parturition  ;  Rigid  Neck  of  the  Womb  ;  Bending 

of  the  Neck  of  the  Womb. 
Unnatural  Positions  of  the  Calf, 
Flooding. 

Retained  After-birth. 
Inversion  of  the  Womb, 
Medical  Treatment  of  Calving. 
Management  of  the  Milk  ;  To  dry  the  milk ;  To  bring  on  or 

increase  the  milk  ;  To  correct  bloody  and  blue  milk. 
Milk  Fever — Puerperal  Fever — Parturient  Fever — Partur^ 

ient  Apoplexy — Inflammation  of  the   Womb. 
Garget — Caked  Bag — Mammitis. 

BARRENNESS  OR  STERILITY. 

Barrenness  in  high  priced  cows,  bought  or  raised  for  the 
purpose  of  breeding,  is  a  serious  loss  to  the  owner,  and  it  is 
worth  making  energetic  attempts  to  remedy  it.  Its  causes 
are  either  constitutional  or  accidental. 

Constitutional  barrenness  generally  exists  in  heifers  twinned 
with  a  bull  calf.  They  are  called  "  free  martins,"  and  rarely 
go  in  heat,  and  when  they  do,  they  fail  to  conceive.  Usually 
they  have  a  steer-like  appearance,  though  smaller  in  growth. 
When  their  sex  organs  are  examined  they  are  found  to  be 
small  and  ill-developed. 

Incomplete  growth  of  the  ovaries  and  malformations  of 
the  genital  organs,  are  other  constitutional  causes  of  sterility 
found  occasionally  in  the  lower  animals.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  any  attempt  to  remedy  these  defects  are  vain. 


314  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

Accidental  barrenness  is  quite  frequent.  In  the  large 
majority  of  cases  it  can  be  traced  directly  to  improper  food 
or  exercise.  This  does  not  mean  insufficient  food.  On  the 
contrary,  probably  the  most  common  of  all  causes  of  barren- 
ness in  co^vs  is  overfeeding — to  which  the  most  valuable  ani- 
mals are  for  obvious  reasons  most  exposed. 

It  is  well  ascertained  that  a  fat  heifer  is  slow  to  heat  and 
uncertain  in  conception.  Such  animals  should  be  turned 
out  on  a  poor  pasture  with  a  young  bull.  This  will  often 
succeed  in  cases  given  up  as  hopeless. 

Lack  of  exercise  is  another  common  cause.  Many  in- 
stances might  be  quoted  where  a  barren  cow,  after  driving  a 
hundred  miles  and  then  turned  in  with  a  bull,  bred  in  a 
short  time.  Part  of  the  effect  of  this  may  be  owing  to  change 
of  climate.  For  it  has  often  been  noticed  that  cows  barren 
on  the  low  lands  have  bred  w^hen  changed  to  a  hilly,  bracing 
upland  pasture ;  or  from  the  interior  to  the  seashore. 

Fatty  and  sweet  food,  such  as  oil  cake,  sugar  cane,  sorghum, 
etc.,  have  a  tendency  to  prevent  the  proper  change  of  the 
ovaries ;  indeed,  they  are  asserted  to  bring  about  a  fatty  de- 
generation in  their  substance,  and  thus  lead  to  permanent 
sterility. 

Causes  of  an  opposite  kind  are  too  great  delicacy  of  con- 
stitution, and  a  lack  of  vigor  either  fe'om  a  w^asting  disease, 
over-milking  or  absence  of  nutritious  food.  In  the  first  stage 
of  consumption  cows  generally  heat  violently  and  repeatedly, 
but  do  not  conceive. 

The  general  treatment  of  barrenness  will  be  suggested  by 
the  above  remarks.  When  it  appears  to  be  owing  to  exces- 
sive fat,  a  full  dose  of  sulphate  of  magnesia,  repeated  two  or 
three  times  at  intervals  of  a  week,  will  aid  in  bringing  the 
animal  to  proper  condition.  Good  breeders  should  be  only 
in  good  flesh,  without  being  forced.  Not  only  do  they  take 
the  bull  more  regularly,  but  they  have  healthier  calves,  and 
are  less  liable  to  drop  them  prematurely. 


Abortion  or  Slinking,  315 

Of  course,  the  barrenness  may  be  due  to  the  bull.  If  he 
is  excessively  fat  or  lean,  or  old,  or  diseased,  it  may  interfere 
with  his  procreative  powers;  so  that  a  cow  which  seems 
well  fitted  for  conception,  and  yet  remains  barren,  should  be 
served  by  different  bulls.  It  has  been  supposed  by  some 
writers  that  a  perfectly  healthy  cow  may  fail  with  an  equally 
healthy  bull,  and  yet  take  with  another  one.  This  appears 
to  occur,  for  example,  where  the  relationship  is  very  close. 

ABOETION— SLINKING— SLIPPIITG— DROPPING  THE  CALF. 

•  The  premature  dropping  of  the  calf  usually  occurs  from 
the  fourth  to  the  seventh  month.  It  frequently  becomes 
epidemic  in  a  dairy,  and  the  immense  loss  it  entails  on  farm- 
ers may  be  judged  from  a  statement  made  some  years  ago  by 
the  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society,  that  in  that  State 
alone  the  money  value  of  the  loss  had  been  for  several  years 
over  four  million  dollars  annually. 

Within  the  last  few  years  many  of  the  most  important 
dairy  regions  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania  and  other  States 
have  suffered  severely  from  this  malady,  all  the  cows  some- 
times aborting,  one  after  another,  without  discoverable  cause 
or  cure.  Nevertheless  it  is  a  complaint  which,  by  judicious 
precautions  and  early  and  active  treatment,  can  be  prevented 
and  checked. 

Causes. — In  studying  the  causes  of  the  disease  the  stock 
owner  should  first  examine  into  the  food  of  the  animals.  It 
has  been  abundantly  shown  that  w^et,  frosted  and  mouldy 
fodder,  smutty  or  mouldy  grain,  ergoted  corn  or  rye,  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  too  rich  food,  will  strongly  predispose  to 
slinking.  Heating  condition  powders,  violent  purges,  blows 
on  the  belly,  over  teazing  by  the  bull,  are  other  and  common 
causes. 

Next  to  these  comes  the  presence  of  a  foul  atmosphere  in 
the  cow-house,  yard  or  field.     Decaying  animal  matters,  as 


316  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

tlie  refuse  from  a  slaughter  house,  glue  factory  or  hatters'  es- 
tablishment, should  be  most  carefully  guarded  against. 

The  third  and  most  important  of  all  causes,  as  it  is  the 
true  secret  of  the  epidemic  prevalence  of  abortion  in  a  dairy, 
is  the  odor  of  the  lochia  or  uterine  discharges  of  the  cow  in 
abortion.  This  odor  is  easily  detected  the  moment  one  en- 
ters the  cow  yard,  and  it  is  peculiarily  offensive  to  other  cows. 
They  cease  feeding,  sniff  the  air,  become  excited  and  bellow. 
Some  sympathetic  influence  is  produced  on  their  uterine  or- 
gans, and  in  a  few  days  one  or  more  of  them  abort,  and  thus 
the  disease  is  propagated  through  the  herd  until  sometimes 
every  cow  in  calf  has  dropped  her  fetus. 

Symptoms.  — An  aborting  cow  is  a  constant  source  of  dan- 
ger to  a  dairy,  and  whenever  such  a  one  is  found  in  the  herd, 
she  should  be  taken  off  her  milk,  fattened  and  killed.  But, 
as  in  buying  new  cows,  the  purchaser  may  obtain  one,  it  is  of 
great  importance  that  he  should  closely  watch  cows  in  preg- 
nancy, and,  at  the  first  signs  of  abortion,  separate  the  cow 
from  the  rest  of  the  herd.     These  signs  are  as  follows  ; 

The  animal  is  noticed  to  be  off  her  feed,  to  "  lose  her  cud," 
is  listless  and  dull,  the  milk  dries  up,  she  lies  down  longer 
than  usual,  stands  for  a  longer  time  on  rising,  and  w^alks  with 
a  slight  staggering  gait.  Or  in  other  cases,  she  is  uneasy, 
paws  the  ground,  refuses  food  and  rests  her  head  on  the 
manger. 

If  at  this  time  the  belly  is  carefully  examined,  it  will  be 
found  slightly  altered  in  shape,  less  round  and  somewhat  en- 
larged. And  if  the  vagina  should  be  inspected,  there  will 
be  observed  a  slight  discharge  of  whitish,  glairy  fluid ;  or, 
if  further  advanced,  the  fluid  mil  be  of  a  yellow  or  reddish 
hue. 

These  are  the  signs  which  should  admonish  the  owner  to 
isolate  the  cow  at  a  long  distance  from  her  companions. 


Abortion  or  Slinking,  317 

Later  on,  the  animal  begins  to  moan,  the  pangs  of  labor 
come  on  with  more  or  less  violence,  and  the  fruit  of  the 
womb  is  expelled,  sometimes  living,  but  generally  dead,  and 
often  putrid  and  escaping  by  piecemeal. 

Treatment. — This  is  largely  indicated  by  what  we  have 
said  above,  so  far  as  the  prevention  of  the  epidemic  is  con- 
cerned. But  there  is  one  precaution  which  cannot  be  too 
strongly  urged.  That  is,  as  soon  as  the  abortion  has  once 
commenced,  proceed  to  deliver  the  fetus  at  once,  and  bury  it 
deep  in  the  ground,  sprinkling  it  freely  with  carbolic  acid  or 
chloride  of  lime.  We  need  here  not  merely  a  disinfectant, 
but  one  with  a  powerful  smell  of  its  own  to  overcome  the 
odor  of  the  lochia. 

The  cow  should  then  receive  attention.  The  afterbirth 
having  also  been  removed  and  buried,  the  vagina  should  be 
syringed  with  a  solution  of  chloride  of  lime,  one  ounce  to  the 
quart  of  water  ;  the  stall  should  be  cleaned,  washed  with  the 
solution,  and  freshly  littered ;  and  for  a  month  at  least,  the  cow 
should  not  be  allowed  to  associate  with  others.  The  whole 
herd  should  at  once  be  put  upon  doses  of  chlorate  of  potash, 
J  oz.  daily,  which  it  is  believed  has  been  proven  to  exert  a 
beneficial  influence. 

After  recovery,  the  cow  should  not  be  allowed  to  take  the 
bull  until  the  third  or  fourth  time  she  is  in  heat,  as  if  she 
conceives  in  her  first  or  second  heat,  it  is  quite  certain  that 
she  will  abort  again.  If  on  her  next  pregnancy  she  again 
aborts,  there  should  be  no  hesitation  in  at  once  fattening  and 
selling  her,  as  she  is  a  standing  menace  to  the  welfare  of  the 
whole  dairy. 

Recent  discussions  in  the  Agricultural  Societies  of  New 
York,  Ohio,  and  other  large  dairy  districts,  have  led  to  the 
recognition  of  two  important  and  avoidable  causes  of  abor- 
tion.    One  of  these  is  a  deficiency  of  mineral  matter  in  th© 


318  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

food.  This  can  be  remedied  by  giving  each  cow  during  her 
jiregnancy  one  quart  of  corn  meal,  with  a  teaspoonful  of 
fresh,  finely  ground  bone  every  morning.  It  is  no  unusual 
sight  to  see  cows  knawing  at  old  bones  to  satisfy  this  natural 
want  of  the  system. 

The  second  precaution  is  to  have  a  bull  who  is  not  ex- 
hausted. He  should  have  served  no  cow  for  a  week,  and 
should  be  put  to  the  female  in  the  evening,  and  but  once. 
The  cow  should  be  stabled  by  herself  for  the  night,  and 
kept  away  from  the  bull,  or  teasing  steers,  during  the  whole 
of  her  pregnancy.  She  should  be  dried  at  least  six  weeks 
before  her  calving  date 

It  should  be  added  that  the  latest  discussions  of  the  sub- 
ject endorse  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Youatt,  that  the  odor  of  the 
vaginal  discharges  accompanying  abortion  are  highly  irri- 
tating to  the  uterine  system  of  other  pregnant  cows. 

CALVING  OR  PARTTJUITION. 

In  most  of  the  lower  animals  the  process  of  child-birth  is 
one  consummated  mth  little  pain,  and  few  complications.  In 
the  cow,  however,  more  frequently  than  in  any  other  animal, 
the  assistance  of  man  is  called  for ;  and  this  appears  to  be 
especially  the  case  in  high  bred  and  delicately  nurtured  ani- 
mals. 

It  should  be  a  rule,  however,  to  avoid  giving  assistance 
until  is  is  really  necessary.  Frequently  by  waiting  patiently, 
nature  will  succeed  in  overcoming  obstacles  to  the  exit  of  the 
calf,  which  we  might  only  injure  by  premature  attempts  at 
interference.  So  long  as  the  bag  of  waters  has  not  burst, 
there  is  no  occasion  for  action,  providing  the  passage  of  the 
vagina  is  clear,  and  the  womb  is  in  a  healthy  condition.  The 
latter  is  subject  to  two  irregularities,  both  involving  what  is 
called  the  nech  of  the  womb,  which  is  that  portion  immedi- 
ately above  its  mouth,  or  external  opening,  into  the  vagina. 


Calving,  319 

1.  Rigid  Neck  of  the  Womb. 

This  is  the  condition  called  in  old  farriery  books  by  the 
curious  term  "the  horning  of  the  lye/'  because  the  lye,  calf- 
bed  or  womb  is  found  to  present  a  stiff,  horn-like  end  in 
the  vagina.  It  may  be  suspected  to  be  present  when  the  cow- 
ls at  her  full  time,  when  she  has  labor-pains,  and  when  there 
is  a  delay  in  the  descent  of  the  calf.  On  oiling  the  hand  and 
introducing  it  into  the  vagina  the  neck  of  the  womb  will  be 
felt  as  a  hard  body  at  its  furthest  extremity,  the  mouth  being 
small  and  unyielding. 

Treatment. — If  time  does  not  press,  and  the  cow  is  not 
excited,  some  extract  of  belladonna  should  be  carried  up  the 
vagina  and  smeared  around  the  neck.  Sometimes  this  will 
cause  it  to  relax  in  a  few  hours. 

But  if  the  case  is  pressing,  there  is  no  use  experimenting 
with  this  means.  A  narrow-bladed,  bkmted-pointed  knife 
should  be  carried  up  the  vagina  in  the  hand,  the  mouth  of 
the  womb  felt  for  and  fixed  with  the  fore  finger,  and  then 
the  blade  of  the  knife  slij^ped  along  the  finger  until  it  enters 
the  neck  of  the  w^omb  to  the  depth  of  about  a  quarter  of  an 
inch.  A  slight  cut  should  then  be  made  on  all  four  sides  of 
the  neck  by  turning  the  knife.  A  mere  nick  is  enough,  as 
the  mouth  once  loosened  in  its  contraction  the  neck  will  soon 
give  w^ay,  and  the  bag  of  waters  will  accomplish  the  dilata- 
tion. 

2.  Bending  of  the  Neck, 

This  is  a  form  of  accident  not  occurring  in  child-birth,  ex- 
cept in  the  cow.  The  neck  of  the  womb  is  twisted  so  as  to 
bring  the  mouth  upward  or  to  one  side,  and  j)revent  the  ex- 
pulsion efforts  of  the  womb  acting  in  the  direction  of  the 
canal  of  the  vagina.  It  may  be  suspected  to  exist  when 
labor  pains  continue  for  some  time  without  the  appearance  of 
the  bag  of  waters.  On  feeling  with  the  hand,  no  mouth  of 
the  womb  will  be  discernable. 


320  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

To  relieve  it,  the  cow  should  be  cast  with  her  head  up  hill; 
the  surgeon  should  introduce  his  hand,  and  pressing  on  the 
fetus  through  the  walls  of  the  womb,  push  it  firmly  in  the 
opposite  direction  from  which  the  bending  is ;  while  one  or 
two  men  should  roll  the  cow  briskly  over  on  the  other  side 
in  the  direction  in  which  the  twist  has  taken  place.  This 
may  have  to  be  repeated  several  times,  but  will  generally  suc- 
ceed in  releasing  the  mouth  from  its  unnatural  position. 

TJKNATURAL  POSITIONS  OF  THE  CALF. 

The  natural  position  of  the  calf  on  its  exit  from  the  womb 
is  with  its  head  and  fore  feet  first,  the  head  between  the  feet 
and  the  back  upwards.  Six  unnatural  positions  are  enumer- 
ated by  writers,  which  demand  the  assistance  of  the  surgeon. 
We  give  them  in  the  order  of  their  frequency,  with  the  ap- 
propriate treatment  they  require. 

1.  Position  with  tail  first. 

Press  the  haunches  back  with  the  palm  of  the  hand,  take 
hold  of  the  bend  of  the  hough  of  one  leg,  pull  at  it  and  reach 
the  foot.  Seize  the  other  foot  in  the  same  manner,  bring 
them  forth  and  deliver  the  body. 

2.  Position  with  fore  feet  appearing  without  the  head. 

Push  the  feet  back  until  the  head  can  be  seized,  either  by 
the  jaw  or  nose,  and  pull  it  down  between  the  feet.  No 
further  aid  will  be  required.  This  needs  a  long  arm,  and 
prompt  action  between  the  pains. 

3.  Position  with  belly  upward,  head  over  one  shoulder,  fore 
legs  first. 

Gently  push  the  calf  back  between  the  pains,  and  bring 
the  head  down  between  the  legs. 

4.  Fore  feet  first,  with  head  under  the  brisket. 

Push  the  calf  back,  find  the  head,  and  draw  it  down  be- 
tween the  fore  feet. 


FALSE    POSITIONS    IN    CALVING. 


Management  of  Calving.  321 

5.  Head  alone^  or  only  one  forefoot  with  it. 

Push  the  calf  back  and  search  for  the  fore  feet  or  foot, 
under  the  belly ;  when  found,  bring  forward  one  at  a  time, 
by  placing  the  hand  under  the  knee  and  using  gentle  pressure. 

6.  Belly  npicards,  the  fore  legs  folded  and  against  the  mother^ s 
backy  the  head,  side  or  hind  leg  appearing. 

If  the  hind  leg  appear,  put  it  back ;  seek  for  the  head, 
and  if  possible  turn  the  calf,  to  bring  the  fere  feet  and  head  to 
the  mouth.  When  this  fails,  throw  the  cow,  put  her  on  her 
back,  and  with  a  rope  and  pulley,  or  two  or  three  stout  assist- 
ants, raise  her  hind  quarter  considerably  higher  than  her 
shoulders.  In  this  position  the  calf  may  be  easily  j)nshcd 
back  in  the  uterus  so  that  it  can  be  turned  and  broue:ht  to 
the  natural  position. 

Many  surgeons  make  it  a  rule  to  fasten  the  part  present- 
ing with  a  cord  and  slip  knot  before  going  in  search  of  the 
part  they  desire  to  bring  to  the  mouth.  The  cord  is  held  by 
an  assistant,  and  serves  as  a  guide. 

The  principal  obstetric  instrument  in  the  cow  is  the  hook. 
This  is  made  of  '^Tought  iron,  four  inches  long,  with  a  loop 
for  the  cord  at  the  straight  end.  When  by  no  other  means 
the  calf  can  be  delivered,  or  when  removing  a  dead  foetus, 
this  hook  is  fastened  in  the  socket  of  an  eye,  under  the  jaw 
or  in  an  ear,  and  by  gentle  and  steady  traction  the  resistance 
is  overcome. 

Finally,  the  foetus  may  have  to  be  taken  out  piecemeal,  an 
operation  which  requires  considerable  skill  on  the  part  of  the 
operator,  to  avoid  wounding  the  womb  and  vagina,  when  he 
is  dissecting  the  calf. 

In  all  such  operations  certain  general  rules  should  be  ob- 
served, as  follows : — 

1.  Thoroughly  anoint  the  hand  with  lard  or  oil,  before 
introducing  it  into  the  vagina. 

21 


322  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

2.  Make  the  examinations  while  the  cow  is  standing,  and 
between  the  pains. 

3.  In  pulling  at  the  feet,  enclose  the  claws  in  the  hollow  of 
the  palm,  so  that  they  will  not  tear  the  delicate  coats  of  the 
womb. 

FLOODING. 

Sometimes  after  a  natural  birth  which  has  been  rapid,  and 
often  after  an  abortion  which  has  been  brought  on  by  vio- 
lence, there  is  a  severe  attack  of  ^^flooding,''  or  bleeding  from 
the  womb.  It  may  escape  from  the  vagina,  or  it  may  be  in- 
dicated by  paleness  of  the  mouth  and  nose,  weak  pulse,  great 
weakness  and  coldness  of  the  surface,  and  the  womb  be  found 
to  be  filled  with  clotted  blood. 

Treatment. — The  hand  should  be  introduced  into  the 
womb,  the  clots  and  any  remaining  portion  of  the  afterbirth 
seized  and  extracted,  and  a  sponge  dipped  in  hot  vinegar 
and  "Water,  or  very  hot  or  very  cold  water  alone,  be  wrung 
out  in  the  uterus.  A  full  dose  of  fresh  ergot  of  rye,  one  to 
two  ounces,  should  be  given  without  delay. 

If  these  measures  fail,  a  piece  of  ice  the  size  of  a. walnut 
should  be  carried  into  the  womb  and  left  there ;  or  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  powdered  alum  should  be  stirred  in  a  teacupful 
of  milk,  and  a  spongeful  of  this  be  squeezed  out  in  the 
womb.  Internally,  Prof.  Gamgee,  recommends  for  either  the 
mare  or  cow — 

No.  363.  Compound  tincture  of  cinnamon,  3  oz. 

Dilute  sulphuric  acid,  5  oz. 

Mix  and  give  two  tablespoonfuls  for  a  dose  every  one  or  two  Jiours,  in 
a  quart  of  water. 


Management  of  Calving.  323 

EETAIITED  AFTERBIRTH. 

A  variety  of  causes  may  lead  to  the  retention  of  tlie  after- 
birth. Sometimes  it  is  firmly  adherent  to  the  walls  of  the 
womb ;  at  others  it  is  owing  to  hurried  delivery,  poverty  of 
condition,  etc.  Should  it  be  left,  it  is  liable  to  putrefy,  caus- 
ing a  fetid  discharge  which  exhausts  and  poisons  the  animal, 
and  vitiates  the  air  of  the  whole  barn. 

A  retention  for  a  few  days  in  the  3ow  does  no  harm  under 
ordinary  circumstances.  But  if  it  is  protracted  longer  than 
that  the  hand  should  be  introduced,  and  the  afterbirth  sepa- 
rated carefully  from  the  walls  of  the  uterus,  by  a  process  of 
peeling  it  off,  and  gradual  but  firm  pulling.  When  it  has 
been  removed,  a  solution  of  chloride  of  lime,  an  ounce  to  the 
quart  of  water,  should  be  thoroughly  syringed  into  the 
vagina ;  a  moderate  purge  of  salts  should  be  given ;  and  if 
there  is  a  tendency  to  bleed  a  full  dose  of  ergot,  two  ounces 
of  the  powder  may  be  administered. 

ETTERSION  OF  THE  WOMB. 

This  serious  accident  occasionally  occurs  when  there  is 
excessive  and  persistent  straining.  The  womb,  or  "calf- 
bag,"  as  it  is  called  by  the  cow-leech,  follows  the  calf,  and 
hangs  forth  from  the  birth-place  in  the  form  of  a  large  red 
or  violet-colored  bag.  Sometimes  the  accident  is  not  dis- 
covered for  an  hour  or  two,  when  the  womb  w^ill  be  found 
dirty,  thick,  purple-colored,  and  gorged  with  blood. 

The  treatment  is  to  clean  the  bag  thoroughly,  by  free 
drenching  with  warm  water ;  and  if  it  is  swollen  and  gorged 
with  blood,  it  must  be  punctured  in  a  number  of  places  with 
a  sharp-pointed  knife,  just  deep  enough  to  bring  about  a  dis- 
charge of  the  overloaded  veins.  When  sufficient  blood  has 
been  lost,  the  bleeding  should  be  stayed  by  cold  water,  and 
two  assistants  should  place  a  cloth  underneath  the  bag  and 


324  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

lift  it  to  the  level  of  the  vagina.  The  operator  then  oils  the 
surface  of  the  bag,  and  places  his  right  hand,  also  well  oiled, 
against  the  point  or  horn  of  the  bag  which  is  furthest  from 
the  vagina,  and  by  pressing  gently  but  steadily  on  it  returns 
it  into  the  vagina,  and  presses  it  up  as  far  as  possible.  With 
his  left  hand  he  now  presses  on  the  most  dependent  part,  in  a 
similar  manner,  and  forces  it  up.  The  assistants  follow  the 
re-entering  bag  and  keep  it  from  again  extruding.  And 
thus,  often  after  considerable  labor,  the  whole  is  returned. 

Such  an  accident  is,  however,  very  apt  to  recur ;  and  to 
prevent  it  the  vagina  should  be  filled  with  a  ball  of  tow,  and 
this  retained  in  place  by  a  band  fastened  to  a  collar  around 
the  cow's  neck,  and  kept  in  place  by  straps,  passing  above 
and  below,  to  a  girth  in  front  of  the  udder. 

If  the  replacing  is  interfered  with  by  continued  severe 
labor  pains,  the  cow  should  at  once  have  half  an  ounce  of 
chloroform  and  two  ouncas  of  laudanum,  in  a  quart  of  milk. 

After  the  operation,  the  cow  should  be  kept  very  quiet, 
and  the  bowels  restrained  by  doses  of  laudanum  for  a  day 
or  two.  After  twenty-four  hours,  if  the  pains  have  ceased, 
the  bandage  may  be  removed. 

In  preventing  falling  of  the  womb  the  great  point  is  to 
keep  the  hind  quarters  of  the  cow  in  a  raised  position  during 
parturition  and  for  some  hours  afterward ;  in  fact,  until  the 
afterbirth  has  come  away.  This  may  be  done  to  some  ex- 
tent by  making  a  thicker  bed  of  litter  at  the  tail.  In  some 
high-class  German  cow  houses,  where  the  cow  receives,  and 
comes  to  require,  about  as  much  attention  at  these  periods  as 
the  human  female,  the  floor  of  the  "  lying-in  stall "  slopes 
toward  the  rack,  so  that  the  hind  quarters  are  constantly  ele- 
vated. 


Management  of  Calving,  325 

MEDICAL  TREATMENT  OF  CALVING. 

Generally  speaking,  as  an  aid  to  birth  giving,  medical 
treatment  is  not  necessary ;  the  offspring  coming  naturally,  at 
the  full  period,  can  generally  be  got  hold  of  by  the  hand, 
and  brought  away  with  gentle  force,  or  by  waiting,  will 
emerge  without  assistance. 

Nevertheless,  when  the  labor  pains  are  languid,  and  occur 
at  long  intervals,  and  where  the  animal  has  been  in  labor  for 
a  considerable  time,  and  it  is  found  on  examination  that  there 
is  no  obstruction,  a  natural  position,  and  a  dilated  mouth  of 
the  womb,  full  doses  of  ergot,  one  to  two  ounces,  should  be 
given.  This  drug  does  not  act  very  efficiently  on  cows,  and 
has  to  be  administered  in  large  doses. 

Another  instance  where  medicine  is  needed  is  where,  both 
in  mares  and  cows,  there  is  considerable  irritability  and 
straining  after  the  birth  has  come  away.  Unless  it  subsides 
promptly  the  animal  should  have  the  following  draught : — 

No.  364.  Chloroform, 

Laudanum,  each  J  oz. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  warm  milk,  and  repeat  every  hour  until  relief  is 
obtained. 

Sometimes  this  irritability  shows  itself  in  repeated  spasms 
or  convulsions.  The  above  mixture  is  then  very  applica- 
ble ;  but  if  there  is  a  dry  muzzle  and  a  hot  horn,  showing  a 
tendency  to  a  feverish  condition,  the  following  is  preferable : 

No.  365.  Sweet  spirits  of  nitre, 

Laudanum,  of  each  2  oz. 

Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia,  4  oz. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  milk  every  hour,  till  relieved. 

Some  cows,  especially  those  in  low  condition,  for  a  week 
or  two  before  calving  lose  the  power  of  their  hind  limbs, 
and  are  unable  to  stand.  Little  can  be  done  before  they  give 
birth,  besides  allowing  them  laxative  and  nutritious  food  and 
tonic  medicine,  while  seeing  that  they  are  well  bedded  and 


326  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

turned  over  several  times  a  day.  After  calving,  most  cases 
gradually  regain  the  use  of  their  limbs ;  but  when  this  is  not 
the  case,  or  they  gain  too  slowly,  the  following  may  be  used 
with  every  prospect  of  prompt  advantage  : — 

No.  366.  Powdered  mix  vomica, 

Sulphate  of  iron,  each  2  drachms. 

Give  in  a  pint  or  two  of  gruel,  twice  a  day. 

Mustard  should  be  well  rubbed  in  over  the  loins,  and  the 
animal  forced  to  rise  on  her  feet  as  soon  as  she  is  able — • 
which  she  is  often  by  no  means  willing  to  do. 

The  older  veterinarians  were  accustomed  to  give  to  all 
cows,  after  calving,  what  they  called  a  "  cleansing  drink,^^  on 
the  ground  that  it  prevented  milk  fever  and  other  illnesses. 
The  modern  school  does  not  approve  of  these,  believing  that 
they  are  generally  needless  and  sometimes  hurtful,  by  bring- 
ing on  irritation  of  the  bowels,  or  by  weakening  the  animal. 
We  give  two  of  the  least  objectionable  of  these  drinks,  which, 
being  warm  and  stimulating,  are  not  out  of  place  in  con- 
ditions of  unusual  debility : — 

No.  367.  Powdered  aniseed, 

"         myrrh, 

"         allspice, 

"         cummin  seed,  each,         1  oz. 

To  be  stirred  in  a  quart  of  warm  gruel,  for  a  drench. 

No.  368.  Soap, 

Sperniaceti, 

Powdered  ginger,  of  each,  ^  oz. 

Aniseed,  in  powder, 

Carraway  seed,     "  of  each,  1  oz. 

Molasses,  4  oz. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  warm  gruel. 

It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  prevent  constipation,  if  present, 
and  to  cleanse  the  vagina  by  an  antiseptic  wash  if  the  dis- 
charge is  foul.     For  the  first  we  recommend  : — 

No.  369.  Sulphate  of  magnesia,  -|  lb. 

Ground  aniseed,  1  oz. 

Olive  oil,  6  oz. 
Give  in  a  pint  of  gruel,  and  repeat  daily,  if  needed. 


Management  of  Calving,  327 

For  syringing  the  vagina,  stir  a  pound  of  chloride  of  lime 
in  two  gallons  of  water,  and  when  it  has  settled  pour  off  the 
clear  fluid,  for  use.  Or,  pour  a  gallon  of  boiling  water  on  a 
pint  of  clean  wood  tar,  stir  and  let  it  settle.  Either  of  these 
will  prove  a  cheap  and  excellent  cleansing  wash.  A  pint  or 
two  should  be  thrown  up  twice  a  day. 

Instead  of  constipation,  some  cows  after  calving  are 
troubled  with  a  relaxed  condition  of  the  bowels,  with  con- 
stant diarrhea,  which  prevents  them  from  promptly  regainin^^ 
strength.  For  this  condition  Mr.  Finley  Dun  recommends 
one  of  the  following  astringent,  anodyne  drenches,  as  among 
the  best  that  could  be  selected  : — 

No.  370.  Powdered  catechu,  '  2  drachms, 

ginger,  1  oz. 

Sulphuric  acid,  30  drops. 

Laudanum,  1  oz. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  gruel,  ale,  or  weak  whisky  and  water. 

No.  371.  Powdered  ginger, 

Bicarbonate  of  soda, 

Laudanum, 

Decoction  of  oak  bark^  of  each,         1  oz. 

Give  several  times  a  day,  in  gruel  or  ale. 

Half  this  dose  suffices  for  six  months'  calves,  in  similar 
conditions  of  the  bowels. 

MANAGEMEirr  OF  THE  MILK. 

The  management  of  the  secretion  of  the  milk  divides  it- 
self into  the  three  subjects :— the  means  of  drying  it  up 
when  the  cow  is  about  to  calve,  or  is  to  be  fattened ;  the 
means  of  increasing  the  supply  when  it  is  deficient;  and  its 
improvement  when  in  an  unhealthy  condition. 

1.      To  dry  the  mill'. 

The  average  period  before  calving  at  which  a  cow  should 
bo  allowed  to  go  dry  is  about  six  weeks.     Poor  and  weak 


328  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

cows  should  have  two  months,  w^hile  one  month  is  enough 
for  vigorous  ones. 

Usually  by  lessening  the  milk  taken  day  by  day,  so  as  al- 
ways to  leave  some  in  tlie  udder,  a  cow  will  dry  without 
painful  swelling  of  the  gland.  When  this  is  too  long  de- 
layed, the  customary  ''drying  drench''  is  to  boil  half  an 
ounce  of  powdered  alum  in  a  pint  of  milk,  and  give  it  every 
morning.  Eubbing  the  udder  with  ointment  of  belladonna 
is  also  an  efficient  and  safe  means. 

2.     To  bring  on  or  increase  the  milk. 

It  occasionally  happens  that  the  secretion  of  milk,  espe- 
cially in  heifers,  is  too  slight  in  quantity  for  the  calf,  or  is 
backward  in  making  its  appearance  at  the  proper  time. 
Nourishing  and  abundant  food,  with  a  change  of  diet,  will 
generally  remedy  this,  along  with  gentle  frictions  of  the  ud- 
der and  teat,  so  as  to  excite  the  glands  to  greater  activity. 

When  the  secretion  is  checked,  a  large  poultice  of  the 
leaves  of  the  castor  oil  plant,  chopped  fine  and  applied  every 
morning,  has  considerable  local  celebrity.  A  prescription, 
in  such  cases,  recommended  by  Prof.  Gamgee,  is — 

No.  872.  Black  sulphuret  of  antimony,    2  oz. 

Powdered  fennel  seed, 
Common  salt,  of  each  4  oz. 

One  quarter  of  this  to  be  mixed  with  the  food  every  day. 

3.   To  correct  bloody  and  blue  milJc. 

Bloody  milk  comes  from  blows  on  the  udder,  certain 
poisonous  plants,  from  the  sexual  heat,  and  garget. 

When  it  appears,  it  is  a  safe  rule  to  give  the  cow  a  dose 
of  salts,  and  to  foment  the  udder  in  hot  water  with  a  little 
vinegar  added.  The  milking  should  be  gentle  and  thorough, 
and  the  diet  altered  so  as  to  avoid  any  unknown  irritating 
substance  she  may  have  been  eating. 

Blue  or  sticky  milk  is  due  to  the  presence  of  a  low  form 
of  vegetation  in  the  secretion,  easily  seen  under  a  microscope 


Milk  Fever  in  Cows.  329 

of  moderate  power.  It  is  supposed  to  be  introduced  through 
impure  drinking  water,  diseased  grasses,  or  by  breathing  an 
air  tainted  with  decomposing  animal  matter.  In  addition  to 
boiling  the  drinking  water,  and  changing  the  food  or  pastur- 
age, the  animal  should  take — 

Ko.  373.  Bisulphite  of  soda, 

Sulphur,  each  2  drachms. 

Give  in  milk  or  mixed  with  meal,  once  a  day,  for  a  week. 

MILZ  FEVER  — PTJEEPERAL  FEVER -PAETTJIIIE2TT   FEVER  — PAE- 

TI7RIENT  APOPLEXY— METRITIS— INFLAMMATION  OF 

THE  WOMB. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  lining  membrane, 
substance  of,  and  tissues  adjacent  to,  the  womb,  occurring 
after  calving,  and  often  accompanied  by  sudden  and  marked 
afiections  of  the  brain,  congestion  of  the  spinal  cord  and 
apoplexy;  and  ofteii  followed  by  general  blood  poisoning 
and  death. 

Causes. — These  may  be  injury  to  the  womb  in  calving,  re- 
tained afterbirth,  exposure  to  colds  and  chills ;  or  it  may  be 
at  times  of  an  epidemic  character.  A  cow  Avho  has  had  it 
once  is  pretty  certain  to  have  it  with  her  next  calf. 

There  has  been  considerable  discussion  as  to  whether  the 
disease  called  "parturient  apoplexy"  and  "milk  fever"  is 
identical  with  that  known  as  inflammation  of  the  womb  or 
metritis.  Several  very  eminent  authorities  do  not  think  so ; 
and  they  explain  the  congested  and  inflamed  state  of  the 
womb,  which  is  found  on  examination  after  death  by  refer- 
ence to  the  nearness  of  the  time  of  its  outbreak  to  calving. 
But  after  a  careful  study  of  the  evidence  and  the  records  of 
cases  and  post-mortems,  the  present  writer  inclines  strongly 
to  the  opinion  that  the  difference  is  only  in  respect  to  the 
violence  of  the  disease  ;  a  difierence  very  noticeable  also  in 
the  human  species  in  the  difierent  forms  of  puerperal  metritis. 


330  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

Symptoms. — The  symptoms  first  appear  within  from  twen- 
ty-four hours  to  three  days  after  calving.  One  of  the  earliest 
warnings  is  the  suspension  of  the  secretion  of  milk.  This 
is  the  more  observable  as  the  disease  is  peculiarly  liable  to 
attack  "  deep  milkers/'  large  uddered  and  well  nourished 
cows. 

Frequently  the  other  symptoms  appear  with  promptness 
and  severity,  and  run  rapidly  to  a  fatal  termination^  The 
cow  hangs  her  head,  ceases  to  feed,  loses  her  cud,  and  moves 
restlessly  her  hind  feet.  By  and  by  the  breathing  becomes 
hard  and  rapid,  the  eyes  are  bloodshot  and  wild,  the  eyelids 
twitch,  and  tears  run  over  the  face.  She  falls  on  her  litter 
in  a  stupor,  or  sways  her  head  violently  from  side  to  side. 
The  head,  horns,  and  forehead  are  intensely  hot  to  the 
touch. 

The  power  of  sight  and  of  swallowing  is  lost  early  in  the 
disease,  and  there  is  often  partial  or  complete  paralysis  of  the 
hind  quarters.  The  pulse,  at  first  full,  becomes  small,  quick 
and  scarcely  perceptible.  There  may  be  delirium  and  death 
in  convulsions ;  or  the  animal  may  quietly  gasp  to  death  in 
a  state  of  stupor. 

The  bowels  may  be  somewhat  relaxed  in  the  early  stages, 
but  as  a  rule  constipation  is  a  marked  sign.  It  is  due  to 
paralysis  of  the  bowels.  The  urine  is  generally  pale  in 
color,  scanty  in  quantity,  and  may  be  retained  in  the  bladder, 
from  paralysis  of  that  organ. 

If  in  the  course  of  thirty  or  forty  hours  the  animal  comes 
to  herself  and  tries  to  rise,  if  the  bowels  begin  to  act  and  the 
secretion  of  milk  to  return,  there  is  a  fair  probability  that 
the  case  will  recover ;  although  sometimes  these  favorable 
symptoms  are  deceptive,  indicating  only  a  remission  of  the 
disease,  which  returns  with  renewed  violence.  For  this 
reason  it  is  well  not  to  be  too  confident  in  one's  predictions 
about  results. 


Milk  Fever  in  Cows,  331 

Treatment. — If  the  symptoms  do  not  indicate  very  decided 
exhaustion,  and  the  case  is  seen  early,  from  three  to  five 
quarts  of  blood  should  be  taken  from  a  free  opening  in  the 
jugular  vein.  If  as  the  blood  flows,  the  pulse  is  felt  to  grow 
fuller  and  stronger,  and  there  are  signs  of  relief  to  the  head, 
it  is  certain  that  the  loss  of  the  blood  is  a  benefit. 

AYhere,  however,  the  pulse  is  weak  and  thready,  and  the 
exhaustion  is  already  great,  bleeding  is  not  called  for.  On 
the  contrary,  a  stimulant  is  what  is  required.  This  may  be 
whisky,  or — 


No.  374.              Carbonate  of  ammonia, 

1  oz. 

Water, 

1  pint. 

^lix  for  a  drench. 

As  there  is  so  often  paralysis  of  the  muscles  of  the  gullet, 
so  that  the  animal  cannot  swallow,  it  is  by  no  means  easy  to 
give  a  drench.  Sometimes  a  ball  does  better,  as  it  can  be 
well  oiled  and  pushed  far  back  in  the  gullet,  and  will  dis~ 
solve  and  descend  by  its  own  weight. 

In  all  cases,  if  an  active  purge  can  be  administered,  it 
will  be  an  advantage,  as — 

No.  375.  Sulphate  of  magnesia,  f  to  1  lb. 

Croton  oil,  20  to  30  drops. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  water. 

If  the  difficulty  of  giving  by  the  mouth  is  very  great,  in- 
jections of  soap  and  warm  water  should  be  repeatedly  thrown 
into  the  rectum. 

The  swelling  of  the  bowels,  which  is  apt  to  be  very  pain- 
ful, can  be  lessened  by  carbonate  of  ammonia  given  as  a 
ball ;  or  that  failing,  the  rumen  should  be  punctured  by  a 
trocar,  and  the  gas  allowed  to  escape. 

When  the  horns  and  head  are  hot,  or  when  the  stupor  is 
marked,  pouring  cold  water  on  the  head  from  a  height  of 
five  or  six  feet,  and  continuing  several  minutes  (ten  or  fif- 


332  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

teen)  will  often  prove  a  very  efficient  means  of  restoring 
consciousness. 

The  paralysis  is  liable  to  remain  after  tlie  other  symptoms 
have  disappeared,  and  indeed  the  cow  may  fancy  she  cannot 
rise  when  she  is  perfectly  able  to  do  so.  The  application  of 
the  firing  iron  to  the  loins  will  be  sure  to  start  her  in  mo- 
tion, if  she  is  able,  and  to  benefit  her  by  counter  irritation  if 
she  is  not. 

In  cases  of  inflammation  of  the  womb  and  surroundings, 
where  the  attack  comes  on  three  or  four  days  after  calving, 
the  following  is  an  excellent  laxative,  alterative  and  sedative 
combined : — 

'^o.  376.  Calomel,  I  drachm. 

Laudanum,  2  oz. 

Castor  oil,  1  pound. 

Mix  with  hot  water  and  molasses,  and  give  four  doses,  at  intervals  of 
two  or  three  hours. 

In  the  apoplectic  form  of  the  disease,  when  there  is  in- 
tense nervous  excitement  and  violent  cramp  of  tlie  muscles 
of  the  hind  quarters,  chloral  has  been  found  to  be  of  great 
benefit : — 

No.  377.  Hydrate  of  chloral, 

Powdered  sugar,  each  2  oz. 

Mix  in  a  quart  of  warm  water,  and  repeat  in  two  hours  unless  quiet 
is  produced. 

Another  useful  formula  in  this  phase  of  the  disease,  when 

the  period  of  excitement  is   followed   by  exhaustion   and 

stupor,  is  given  by  Mr.  Finlay  Dun : — 

No.  387.  Spirits  of  turpentine,  1  to  2  oz. 

Carbonate  of  ammonia,  J  oz. 

Give  in  a  quart  of  cold  gruel. 


Garget  in  Cows.  333 

GARGET-MAMMITIS— CAKED  BAG. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  udder  or  mammary 
gland  in  the  cow. 

Causes. — Cows  in  a  plethoric  condition  at  the  time  of  calv- 
ing, or  if  at  that  or  other  time  they  be  turned  into  a  rich 
pasturage,  are  liable  to  swelling  and  inflammation  of  the  ud- 
der. Allowing  them  to  go  unmilked  for  long  periods  also 
produces  it.  Sometimes  this  occurs  through  inattention ; 
sometimes  for  the  barbarous  purpose  of  making  them  appear 
remarkably  well  uddered  when  put  on  sale. 

Symptoms. — The  inflammation  seldom  attacks  the  whole 
of  the  udder,  but  is  confined  to  one  or  two  quarters,  and  is 
indicated  by  swelling,  heat,  pain  and  redness  of  the  part  in- 
flamed, and  by  the  alteration  in  the  milk,  which  is  curdled, 
whey-like,  and  mixed  with  blood.  There  is  generally  con- 
siderable constitutional  disturbance,  such  as  restlessness,  im- 
paired appetite,  shiverings,  succeeded  by  heat  of  skin  and 
disordered  bowels,  either  constipated  or  unnaturally  loose. 

The  inflamed  parts  generally  pass  into  suppuration,  which 
results  in  breaking  down  their  structure,  wasting  and  trans- 
formation into  a  hard,  cartilaginous  substance.  The  capacity 
for  giving  milk  is  thus  impaired,  and  the  market  value  of  the 
cow  diminished. 

Treatment. — The  general  treatment  is  to  give  a  moderate 
purge,  say  half  a  pound  of  salts,  and  follow  this  up  with 
two  ounces  of  saltpetre  in  the  water,  morning  and  night. 
No  great  amount  of  water,  however,  should  be  given,  and 
dry  food,  and  such  as  does  not  produce  milk,  should  be  the 
only  kind  allowed.  This  is  essential  to  success,  as  it  gives 
rest  to  the  inflamed  structure. 

The  milk  must  be  frequently  drawn  with  the  hand  or  with 
the  syphon.   The  whole  o  fthe  udder  should  be  rubbed  with : 


334  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

No.  379.  Powdered  camphor,  ^  oz. 

Extract  of  belladonna, 

Lard,  each,         2  oz. 

Mix  well  together  and  apply  with  gentle  friction. 

Should  the  swelling  be  great,  and  the  Aveight  of  the  udder 
painful,  it  must  be  supported  by  a  broad  bandage,  made  with 
holes  for  the  teats  to  pass  through,  and  then  securely  fastened 
over  the  back  of  the  animal.  When  the  case  requires  it,  a 
large  mush  and  hop  poultice  can  be  placed  within  the  band- 
age, over  the  udder. 

If  the  inflammation  cannot  be  reduced,  but  passes  on  to 
suppuration,  and  abscesses  form,  they  must  be  freely  opened, 
the  pus  allowed  to  escape,  and  the  cavities  syringed  with 
carbolic  acid  water,  after  which  they  can  advantageously  be 
dressed  with  stimulant  and  antiseptic  ointments,  as — 

No.  380.  Sulphate  of  copper,  powdered,  1  drachm. 

Lard,  1  oz. 

Or: 

No.  381.  Chloride  of  lime,  1  to  2  drachms. 

Lard,  1  oz. 

For  the  hard  swellings  which  remain  when  suppuration 

does  not  occur,  repeated  gentle  frictions  with  the  following 

are  useful  : — 

No.  382.  Iodide  of  sulphur,  1  drachm. 

Glycerine,  6  oz. 

Or  with  the  following, which  has  recently  been  very  highly 

praised  as  efficient  in  dispersing  all  sorts  of  hardened  and 

painful  swellings  in  glands  and  joints  : — • 

No.  383.  Oleate  of  mercury,  1  oz. 

Sulphate  of  morphia,  8  grs. 

Mix  well,  and  rub  on  with  the  finger,  or  apply  with  a  brush,  every 
one  or  two  days. 

This  is  not  liable  to  cause  salivation  if  used  with  ordinary 
care. 

The  common  poke  (Phytolacca)  has  a  local  reputation  in 


Garget  in  Cows,  335 

various  parts  of  the  United  States,  as  efficient  in  acute 
garget.  Indeed,  it  is  sometimes  called  the  "garget  weed." 
It  is  given  by  mixing  a  handful  of  the  dried  leaves  with  the 
food,  and  rubbing  the  udder  with,  an  ointment  prepared  by 
simmering  a  few  ounces  of  the  bruised  root  with  a  pound  of 
lard,  and  straining. 

For  hard  and  slow  indurations  or  "knots,"  that  remain 
after  the  affection,  Prof.  Gamgee  uses — 

No.  384.  Iodide  of  mercury,  |  drachm. 

Glycerine, 

Alcohol,  of  each,         4  oz. 

Eub  gently  and  thoroughly  with  this,  every  two  days. 

This,  or  any  other  form  of  iodine  ointment  will  answer ; 
but  after  severe  attacks  the  udder  is  often  permanently  in- 
jured, and  the  cow's  capacity  for  giving  milk  incurably  di- 
minished. 

After  slight  attacks  of  garget  the  teats  are  often  obstructed 
and  narrowed.  They  may  be  enlarged  by  inserting  a  well 
oi^ed  quill  with  a  circular  leather  collar  about  an  inch  in  di- 
ameter. This  can  be  kept  in  place  readily  by  a  piece  of 
sticking  plaster,  and  removed  when  milking ;  if  worn  for  a 
week  or  two  it  will  relieve  the  contraction. 

In  all  cases  it  is  of  the  greatest  consequence  to  keep  the 
udder  empty  by  repeated  milkings.  As  the  teats  are  tender 
and  swollen  this  must  be  done  gently.  The  calf  will  often 
succeed  better  than  the  attendant.  In  England  a  "teat 
syphon"  is  manufactured  for  drawing  the  milk  by  exhaustion 
of  air  in  a  receiver.  If  the  milk  is  "caked"  in  the  udder^ 
injections  of  a  saturated  solution  of  bicarbonate  of  potash  in 
warm  water,  with  a  small  syringe  with  a  long  nozzle,  ia 
recommended  by  English  authorities. 


336  Diseases  of  Cattle, 

CHAPTER  IV. 

DISEASES   OF   CALVES. 

First  Attentions. 

Diarrhea  or  Scouring. 

Epidemic  Colic — The  Shoote  or  Shewte  of  Blood. 

Croup. 

The  Hush  or  Hoose — Parasitic  Bronchitis. 

FIRST  ATTENTIONS. 

Immediately  after  slie  has  dropped  her  calf,  the  cow  should 
occupy  herself  in  licking  and  cleaning  it.  If  she  neglects 
this  maternal  duty,  the  calf  should  be  sprinkled  with  a  little 
salt,  which  will  induce  her  to  perform  it. 

The  calf  should  remain  with  its  mother  for  a  few  days  at 
least,  in  order  to  derive  the  benefit  of  the  first  milk,  which  is 
laxative  in  quality  and  gives  the  little  animal  the  purge 
which  it  needs  in  order  to  clear  its  bowels  of  the  black  and 
glutinous  feces  which  have  accumulated  there. 

Occasionally  the  mother  in  severing  the  naval  string  with 
her  teeth  leaves  it  so  that  it  bleeds.  It  should  then  be  tied 
with  a  strong  thread ;  and  if  the  navel  looks  inflamed,  it  is 
well  to  smear  it  with  petroleum  ointment,  or  oxide  of  zinc 
ointment,  or  other  soothing  application.  If  there  is  a  tumor 
which  threatens  to  break,  it  should  be  lanced,  and  dressed  as 
heretofore  directed  for  abscesses,  (page  227). 

DIAREHEA  OR  SCOURING. 

This  common  affection  in  calves  is,  through  neglect  and 
mismanagement,  a  cause  of  hea\7'  mortality  among  them. 
It  arises,  as  a  rule,  either  from  too  rich  or  too  poor  food,  and 
the  dam  should  be  looked  to  in  this  respect,  as  well  as  the 


Diarrhea  in  Calves,       ♦  337 

calf.  Heating  the  cow  by  driving  or  worrying  her  is  another 
common  cause  of  deterioration  of  her  milk,  and  renders  it 
injurious  to  the  delicate  bowels  of  the  young  calf. 

It  is  often  best  to  begin  the  treatment  with  two  or  three 
ounces  of  castor  oil,  in  which  a  teaspoonful  of  powdered  gin- 
ger is  stirred,  as  the  gentle  action  of  this  laxative  will  clear 
the  bowels  of  irritating  substances.  When  this  is  done,  the 
following  will  be  found  an  admirable  combination : — 

No.  385.  Lime  water, 

Infusion  of  gentian,  of  each       2  oz. 
Give  this  amount  two  or  three  times  daily,  to  a  feeble  calf. 

The  infusion  of  gentian  is  made  by  boiling  one  ounce  of 
bruised  gentian  root  in  a  quart  of  water  for  ten  minutes, 
cooling  and  straining. 

Or  the  following  will  answer  without  the  oil : — 

No.  886.  Calcined  magnesia,  4  drachms. 

Powdered  opium,  20  grains. 

Powdered  rhubarb,  2  drachms. 
Give  m  milk  or  linseed  gruel. 

Either  of  these  is  better  than  the  giving  of  astringents,  as 
some  negligent  practitioners  do.  These  should  be  reserved 
for  cases  where  the  above  remedies,  together  with  attention 
to  the  mother  and  a  change  of  diet,  does  not  succeed.  It  mU 
then  be  proper  to  give  the  following : — 

No.  387.  Prepared  chalk,  2  oz. 

Powdered  catechu,  1  oz. 

Powdered  opium,  2  drachms. 

Powdered  ginger,  2  oz. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  sweet  flag  tea  or  peppermint  water,  and  give  a  tea* 
cupful  once  or  twice  a  day. 

Strong  teas  of  oak  bark  or  willow  bark,  with  the  addition 
of  ginger,  or  sweet  flag  (calamus),  are  popular  and  useful  re- 
medies in  such  cases. 


338  Diseases  of  Caitle. 

EPILEKIC  COLIC— THE  SHOOTE. 

Tills  is  a  form  of  colic  very  fatal  among  calves  in  some 
localities,  usually  attacking  them  a  few  days  after  birth.  It 
is  believed  at  times  to  be  epidemic,  as  it  is  found  to  attack 
rapidly  a  number  of  calves  in  a  herd.  Its  cause  has  not 
been  ascertained. 

S3niiptoms. — The  calf  refuses  its  food,  is  listless  and  weak. 
Soon  it  is  attacked  by  severe  gripings,  of  an  intermittent 
character.  These  are  followed  after  a  time  by  a  violent  dis- 
charge from  the  bowels.  These  attacks  of  colic  and  excessive 
watery  evacuations  continue  to  recur  until  the  animal  dies  of 
exhaustion ;  or  else,  after  the  first  few  discharges,  the  pain 
abates  and  the  symptoms  disappear. 

Treatment. — The  usual  treatment  ^vith  breeders  is  to  ad- 
minister, as  early  in  the  disease  as  practicable,  a  mixture  of 
eggs,  wheat  flour  and  linseed  oil ;  or  of  milk  mulled  with 
eggs  and  whiskey. 

Should  this  fail,  a  dose  of  a  drachm  of  essence  of  ginger, 
with  two  drachms  of  laudanum,  in  gruel,  should  be  repeated 
until  the  colicky  symptoms  are  overcome  by  the  narcotic. 

CSOUP. 

Definition. — An  inflammation  of  the  upper  throat  and 
windpipe,  characterized  by  a  whitish  deposit  or  exudation 
upon  it,  called  a  false  membrane. 

Causes. — The  occurrence  of  croup  in  calves  is  not  frequent, 
and  is  confined  to  low  lying  districts  on  the  banks  of  rivers, 
where  they  are  exposed  to  damp  chills  and  heavy  dews.  It 
is  a  disease  of  early  life,  appearing  in  calves  from  a  few  weeks 
to  three  months  old,  and  rarely  occm^s  except  in  the  fall  of 
the  year. 


The  Croup  in  Calves,  339 

S3n5iptoniS. — There  are  a  hoarse  coiigh^  discharge  of  spittle 
from  the  mouth,  and  running  from  the  nose.  The  animal 
does  not  thrive,  swallows  with  an  effort,  and  in  drawing  in 
its  breath  a  whistling  or  crowing  noise  is  heard. 

As  the  disease  progresses  the  breathing  becomes  more 
labored,  the  cough  is  more  violent  and  in  paroxysms,  and 
shreds  of  false  membrane  are  coughed  up. 

Treatment. — A  moderate  purge  at  the  outset  will  be  found 
of  use,  and  small  doses  of  saltpetre  in  the  drinking  water,  to 
allay  the  feverish  symptoms.  To  relieve  the  throat  of  the 
false  membrane,  it  will  be  of  benefit  for  the  calf  to  in- 
hale the  vapor  from  slacking  lime  (taking  care  that  it  is  not 
too  concentrated). 

THE  HTTSK  OR  HO OSE— PARASITIC  BRONCHITIS. 

DefinitioiL — A  disease  caused  by  the  irritation  in  the  wind- 
pipe, bronchial  tubes  and  lungs,  of  a  parasitic  worm  called  the 
Strongylus,  The  disease  is  very  fatal  to  sheep  in  many  parts 
of  this  country,  and  will  also  be  considered  under  their  dis- 
eases. 

Cause. — These  worms  generally  attack  calves  under  one 
year  old,  and  especially  such  as  are  pastured  in  low-lying 
lands,  near  rivers,  and  subject  to  flood.  They  are  mostly 
seen  in  the  months  of  August  and  September.  Sometimes 
they  are  very  numerous,  and  are  found  after  death  congre- 
gated together  in  a  ball  in  the  windpipe,  thus  choking  the 
animal  to  death. 

Symptoms. — The  complaint  is  marked  by  a  hoarse,  bron- 
chial cough,  called  the  "  husk ''  or  "  hoose,"  loss  of  flesh,  dif- 
ficulty of  breathing,  and  suffocation  to  a-  greater  or  less  de- 
gree. Sometimes  in  the  mucus  coughed  up  the  parasite  may 
be  detected.  It  is  white  in  color,  the  body  an  inch#  or  two 
long,  and  slender  as  a  thread.      Whenever  in  the  autumn 


340  Diseases  of  Cattle. 

months  calves  are  noticed  to  cough  and  gasp,  they  should  be 
carefully  examined  for  the  signs  of  this  worm. 

Treatment. — Affected  calves  should  be  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  flock,  so  that  none  of  the  eggs  of  the  worm  con- 
vey the  disease  to  the  remainder.  They  should  be  placed  in 
a  dry  stable,  protected  from  dampness,  and  caused  to  inhale 
two  or  three  times  a  day  the  fumes  of  burning  sulphur.  If 
this  is  done  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  at  a  time,  and  con- 
tinued for  two  or  three  days,  the  worms  will  generally  be 
destroyed. 

The  vapor  of  chloride  of  lime  is  also  said  to  be  destruct- 
ive to  them. 

Or,  instead  of  inhalations,  a  small  dose  of  turpentine, 
about  half  an  ounce,  may  be  given  in  gruel  daily,  for  a  few 
days.  Or  a  teaspoonful  mixed  with  double  the  quantity  of 
sweet  oil  may  be  poured  into  the  nostrils.  This  is,  however, 
liable  to  choke  the  patient  if  carelessly  done.  Two  or  three 
doses,  at  intervals  of  two  or  three  days,  will  effect  a  cure.  Or 
the  turpentine  may  be  given  in  the  following  tonic  combina- 
tion : — 

No.  388.  Oil  of  turpentine,  i  oz. 

Carbonate  of  iron,  2  drachms. 

Gum  mixture,  4  oz. 
A  tablespoonful  to  be  given  night  and  morning. 

Or— 

No.  389.         Linseed  oil,  4  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  1  oz. 

Oil  of  carraway  seed,  20  drops. 

Give  half  this  dose  morning  and  night,  to  a  calf  six  months  old,  and 
repeat  it  in  ten  days. 

Half  a  pint  of  lime  water  every  morning  will  destroy  the 
worms  also  ;  but  a  teaspoonful  or  two  of  turpentine  with  it 
adds  to  its  efficiency. 


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General  Remarhs.  341 

CHAPTER   V. 

DISEASES  OF   SHEEP. 

General  RemarJcs  on  Diseases  of  Sheep,  and  their  Treatment, 

Braxy — Striking  of  the  Blood — Charbon  in  Sheep, 

Sheep  Smallpox —  Variola  Ovina, 

Louping  III — Thorter  111 — The  Gnaw  Disease, 

3Ialignant  Epizootic  Catarrh — The  Sheep  Distemper, 

Colic — Blown — Blast —  Wiiid  Dropsy, 

Red  Water — Hcematuria, 

Hoof  Rot— Foot  Rot. 

Foul  in  the  Foot. 

Stone  in  the  Bladder. 

Lambing  in  the  Ftce;  Heaving  Pains;  Milk  Fever;   Garget, 

Rheumatism  of  Lambs, 

Constipation  in  Lambs, 

Diarrhea  in  Lambs. 

Turnsich — Sturdy — Gid — Hydatid  of  the  Brain, 

Sheep  Bots — Grubs  in  the  Head — Head  Maggots, 

Lung  Worms — The  Hoose  in  Lambs — White  Skin — Paper 

Shin — Felt  Rot — The  Pale  Disease, 
The  Rot— The  Liver  Fluke, 
Intestinal  Worms, 
The  Scab — The  Mange  or  Itch  in  Sheep, 

GENEBAL  REMARKS  ON  DISEASES  OF  SHEEP,  AND  THEIE  TREAT- 
MENT. 

The  two  most  prominent  classes  of  the  diseases  of  sheep 
are :  1.  Those  arising  from  exhaustion,  debility,  and  a 
low  state  of  the  system ;  and  2d,  Those  arising  from  the 
presence  of  parasitic  animals. 

It  has  long  been  noticed  that  even  in  England  and  Scot- 
land, inflammatory  affections  are  rare  in  these  animals,  their 


342  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

weak  structure  not  resisting  a  violent  attack  but  sinking  be- 
neath it.  Hence  their  maladies  are  what  physicians  call  of 
"a  low  type/^  and  hence,  also,  bleeding,  purgatives  and  de- 
pressing medicines,  as  aconite  and  tartar  emetic,  are  very 
rarely  indeed  required  in  their  medication.  According  to 
eminent  sheep  breeders  in  this  country,  these  characteristics 
are  yet  more  marked  in  our  breeds.  "The  American  sheep,^^ 
says  Col.  Eandall,"  which  has  been  kept  in  the  common 
way,  sinks  from  the  outset  or  after  a  mere  transient  flash  of 
inflammatory  action;  and  in  any  stage  of  its  maladies  active 
depletion  is  likely  to  lead  to  fatal  prostration.^^ 

Parasites  are  very  common  both  on  and  in  the  sheep.  Its 
thick  wool  and  comparatively  thin  skin  offer  a  most  favor- 
able lodging  place  and  feeding  ground  for  the  class  of 
vermin  which  dwell  on  the  surface  of  the  body.  While  of 
its  internal  organs,  not  only  the  stomach  and  bowels,  but  the 
liver,  brain  and  nostrils  are  the  chosen  habitat  of  various 
lower  forms  of  animal  life. 

The  American  sheep  has  up  to  the  present  been  wholly  or 
almost  wholly  exempt  from  a  number  of  epidemic  diseases  and 
local  affections  which  have  decimated  the  English  and  conti- 
nental flocks  over  and  over  again.  The  sheep-pox,  so  far  as  we 
are  aware,  has  never  appeared  anywhere  in  the  United  States; 
malignant  braxy  or  charbon,  while  of  occasional  occurence, 
has  rarely  developed  into  an  epidemic,  and  then  but  locally ; 
red  water  seems  unknown  ;  hydatid  in  the  brain,  or  turnsick, 
although  reported  from  ^N'ew  York  and  other  States,  is  a  curi- 
osity  rather  than  a  scourge ;  and  the  true  rot,  caused  by  the 
liver  fluke,  has  never  assumed  the  proportions  of  a  destruc- 
tive malady,  although  the  parasite  that  causes  it  is  known  in 
this  country,  especially  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

Indeed,  the  mortality  of  sheep  is  remarkably  low  in  most 
sections  of  the  States  which  are  occupied  w^ith  wool  grow- 
ing.     It  has  been  estimated  as  low  as  two  per  cent,  per 


TJie  Braxy.  343 

annum  of  the  adult  animal ;  but  this  is  undoubtedly  a  much 
too  favorable  statement;  eight  or  ten  per  cent.,  at  least,  of  the 
total  number  of  lambs  born  perish  by  disease. 

Nevertheless,  in  the  active  interchange  of  stock  between 
different  parts  of  this  country,  and  between  this  country  and 
Europe,  we  are  liable  any  season  to  have  brought  to  us  these 
much  feared  diseases  in  a  malignant  form ;  therefore  we  have 
taken  brief  descriptions  of  them  from  the  most  eminent 
foreign  writers,  with  the  treatment  they  recommend. 

BRAXY— STRIKIITG  OF  BLOOD— CHARBON  IN  SHEEP. 

Definition. — A  disease  of  the  blood,  identical  with  charbon, 
or  malignant  anthrax,  in  cattle  (see  page  276) ;  occasionally 
epidemic,  at  other  times  confined  to  definite  localities  and 
herds.  It  is  also  known  by  the  names  of  '^  St.  Anthony's 
fire,''  "  carbuncular  erysipelas,''  "  the  blood  disease,"  etc. 

Causes. — A  very  careful  study  of  the  causes  of  braxy  in 
Scotland  and  the  sheep  growling  districts  has  led  to  connect 
its  apj)earance  with  over-feeding  on  too  rich  or  unhealthy 
food,  and  exposure  to  sudden  changes  of  weather. 

Thus  it  is  most  common  at  those  seasons  when  the  pasture 
is  most  rank,  and  among  herds  on  loose,  damp  bottom  lands, 
occasionally  overflowed,  and  sending  up  a  succulent,  sappy 
growth  of  grass ;  also  where  the  vegetation  is  subject  to  mil- 
dew or  blight ;  where  overfeeding  on  grain  and  clover  hay, 
with  deficient  exercise,  has  been  carried  on  for  some  time ; 
where  with  full  feeding  the  cotes  and  stables  have  been  kept 
quite  warm ;  and  finally,  on  exposed  sheep  walks,  where  the 
animal  is  exposed  with  little  protection  to  sudden  changes 
of  temperature.  The  last  mentioned  is  so  well  known  that 
in  bleak  walks  in  the  Scotch  Highlands,  after  an  unexpected 
snow  blast  in  the  autumn,  the  shejDherd  looks  to  have  some 
of  his  flock  struck  by  the  braxy,  as  a  quite  regular  event. 


344  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

In  the  study  of  its  prevention,  therefore,  owners  should 
choose  pasturages  with  good  drainage,  and  of  moderate 
growth,  and  avoid,  in  their  desire  to  fatten  and  strengthen,  a 
stimulating  diet,  which  may  result  in  developing  germs  of 
poison  in  the  blood. 

Symptoms. — The  sheep  is  affected  by  charbonous  fever  in 
two  forms,  which  by  the  uneducated  are  supposed  to  be  dis- 
tinct diseases ;  in  fact,  they  have  been  so  spoken  of  in  quite 
recent  works  on  diseases  of  these  animals.  The  first  and 
most  rapidly  fatal  form  is 

SpleniG  Apoplexy. — The  attack  is  very  sudden,  the  animal 
ceasing  to  eat;  the  body  suddenly  shivering,  as  if  struck  wdth 
a  chill ;  there  is  staggering  or  reeling,  and  an  effort  to  stand 
by  putting  the  feet  well  asunder,  w^hich  may  fail,  and  the 
body  falls.  The  breath  is  rapid,  the  eyes  are  red,  the  teeth 
grate  together,  and  loss  of  sensibility  is  common.  The  lin- 
ing membrane  of  the  mouth  is  injected  with  blood  of  a  dull 
red  color ;  the  dung  is  passed  without  effort,  and  the  urine  is 
colored  with  blood.  A  bloody  froth  issues  from  the  mouth 
and  nose ;  the  animal  is  seized  with  convulsions,  in  which  he 
throws  his  legs  about  and  bends  his  head  and  neck  back- 
ward ;  there  is  a  rattling  in  his  throat,  and  he  expires. 

Such  a  rapid,  apoplectic  form  of  the  disease  is  more  com- 
mon in  young  sheep  and  those  very  richly  fed.  The  other 
and  slower  variety  is  that  seen  in  older  animals,  and  those  of 
a  less  plethoric  condition.     This  is  more  properly  a 

Charbonous  Fever, — The  first  symptom  in  this  form  is 
that  the  animal  walks  with  a  shorter  step  than  usual,  caused 
by  pain  in  the  bowels;  soon  he  begins  to  lie  down  and  rise  up 
frequently,  or  stands  apart  w^ith  head  hanging  and  back 
arched.  The  eyes  are  dull,  or  bloodshot,  the  belly  swollen, 
and  the  ears  droop.  <  )ften  upon  several  places  on  the  skin, 
especially  of  those  parts  which  are  but  lightly  covered  with 


Treatment  of  Braxy.  345 

wool,  angry-looking  red  or  purple  spots  appear,  like  blotches, 
not  disappearing  on  pressure,  and  rapidly  increasing  in  size 
and  number.  These  swell,  and  upon  their  surface  blisters, 
filled  with  a  watery  or  bloody  fluid,  appear. 

A  penetrating  and  offensive  odor  exhales  from  the  animal, 
bloody  serum  appears  at  his  mouth,  nose,  eyes  and  anus ;  and 
ere  long  he  is  seized  with  convulsions,  or  passes  into  a  state 
of  stupor  and  perishes.  It  is  seldom  that  the  disease  lasts 
three  days,  often  but  ten  or  twelve  hours. 

After  death  the  blood  remains  quite  fluid,  the  body  de- 
comj)Oses  rapidly,  and  the  odor  is  distinct  from  that  of  or- 
dinary decomposition.  The  flesh  and  inner  surface  of  the 
skin  is  bluish  red,  and  stained  with  patches  of  dark,  bloody 
accumulations. 

The  disease,  both  before  and  after  death,  is  so  strongly 
marked  that  it  is  easy  to  recognize  it,  especially  as  it  is  the 
:rule  that  several,  or  a  large  percentage  of  a  herd,  are  attacked 
with  it  when  it  appears  at  all. 

Treatment. — This  is  essentially  the  same  as  that  recom- 
mended in  the  charbon  of  cattle  (page  278).  The  chlorate 
of  potash  is  one  of  the  most  reliable  of  antidotes  to  the  poi- 
son, when  it  can  be  given  with  promptness. 

Some  believe  that  a  brisk  purge  given  at  the  outset  will 
relieve  the  condition  of  the  blood,  as — 

2oz. 
Ipt. 


8oz. 

12  grains. 

3oz. 


As  a  preventive,  a  seton,  no  doubt,  is  advantageous  in 
plethoric  sheep,  as  a  derivative.     Mr.  H.  Clok  recommends 


No.  390. 

Sulphate  of  magnesia, 
Warm  water, 

For  a  drench. 

Or, 

Ko.  391. 

Castor  oil. 

Calomel, 

Molasses, 

Mix  for  a 

dose. 

345  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

the  following  as  a  very  efficient  ^^lick/'  to  prevent  the  disease 
from  spreading  through  a  herd  : — ■ 

No.  392.  Nitrate  of  potash, 

Sulphate  of  magnesia, 

Ground  calamus, 

Laurel  leaves. 

Juniper  berries,  of  each,         2  lbs. 

Golden  sulphuret  of  antimony,  1  lb. 

Mix  well  with  the  food,  clover  preferred,  and  give  one-quarter  night 
and  morning,  for  two  days. 

This  amount  is  enough  for  one  hundred  sheep.  The  same 
author  urges  that  great  care  be  observed  in  regard  to  feeding, 
so  that  the  change  from  stable-feeding  to  pasture-feeding  is 
only  to  be  allowed  by  degrees.  In  the  morning  the  sheep 
must  not  be  driven  to  pasture  until  the  dew  and  moisture 
have  entirely  disappeared  from  the  meadow,  which  depends 
upon  the  temperature  and  weather.  At  noon  a  shady  and 
cool  resting-place  must  be  provided. 

Another  preservative,  as  well  as  preventive,  consists  in 
the  application  of  cold  shower-baths,  which  may  be  applied 
to  the  herd  by  means  of  a  squirting  engine,  the  nozzle  of 
which  is  provided  with  a  sieve,  or  by  means  of  a  garden- 
spout  ;  the  cold  water  to  be  applied  at  different  times  of  the 
day,  and  until  the  animals  are  perfectly  cooled.  The  herd 
may  also  be  driven  into  cold  or  refreshing  streams ;  in  case 
of  rain  the  herd  must  be  allowed  to  remain  exposed  to  it 
at  their  pleasure. 

There  appears  to  be  a  hereditary  disposition  to  this  dis- 
ease ;  it  may  therefore  be  presumed  that  in  case  of  an  ex- 
traordinarily frequent  occurrence  among  certain  herds,  the 
sale  of  such  sheep  and  the  purchase  of  other  stock  will  prove 
the  most  profitable. 


Bmallpox  in  Sheep,  347 

SHEEP  SMALLPOX— VARIOLA  OVINA. 

Definition. — A  contagious  eruptive  fever  depending  upon 
a  specific  poison,  corresponding  in  character  to  that  which 
produces  smallpox  in  the  human  race. 

Causes. — The  ravages  which  smallpox  in  the  sheep  has 
caused  fully  equal  those  which  the  analogous  disease  inflicted 
on  the  human  race  in  the  last  century.  It  does  not  ap- 
pear to  be  mutually  contagious,  however.  The  sheep  pox, 
though  common  on  the  continent  of  Europe  for  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  previous  to  1847,  did  not  reach  England 
until  that  year,  and  has,  we  believe,  not  yet  made  its  appear- 
ance in  this  country,  though  in  the  importation  of  sheep, 
hides  and  wool,  we  are  never  secure  from  its  introduction. 

The  mortality  in  England  has  occasionally  reached  one- 
third  of  the  flock  in  a  single  outbreak ;  and  in  Austria  and 
Hungary  the  losses  are  said  to  foot  up  from  four  to  five 
hundred  thousand  sheep  in  some  years.  It  is,  therefore,  a 
scourge  much  to  be  dreaded. 

Symptoms, — Sheep  pox  shows  itself  in  two  forms,  one 
malignant,  the  other  mild. 

The  malignant  form  is  not  accompanied  with  an  eruption 
of  pustules  on  the  skin.  There  are  some  scarlet  or  purple 
points,  but  they  do  not  maturate  or  form  pus.  The  animal 
ceases  to  eat,  moves  unwillingly,  his  head  is  swollen,  the  eyes 
closed  and  often  inflame  and  ooze  out ;  the  wool  falls  ofi", 
the  skin  cracks  in  a  zig-zag  manner,  and  the  nostrils  become 
filled  With  a  fetid  discharge.  The  animal  suffers  extremely 
from  thirst,  but  cannot  drink,  or  with  difficulty,  on  account 
of  the  inflammation  of  the  lips.  Death  generally  occurs  in 
from  two  to  three  weeks  from  the  outset  of  the  disease. 

In  the  milder  form  the  eruption  first  shows  itself  in  a 
diffused  redness,  or  in  a  number  of  minute  red  spots  like  flea 
bites,  on  that  portion  of  the  skin  least  covered  with  wooL. 


348  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

These  spots  increase  in  size  and  run  together,  becoming  ele- 
vated in  the  centre,  where  in  a  few  days  a  small  blister  or 
vesicle  appears,  containing  a  liquid  at  first  like  a  drop  of 
water,  later  turbid  and  like  pus.  This  is  the  smallpox 
vesicle,  which  in  the  sheep,  however,  remains  flat  on  the 
surface,  and  does  not  become  hollowed  or  "  umbilicated,''  as 
it  does  in  the  cow  and  in  man.  In  the  fourth  week  of  the 
disease  these  vesicles  dry  up,  and  form  scales.  When  these 
fall  off  a  bare  spot  is  left  w^hich  is  never  after  filled  with 
wool  or  hair. 

With  these  local  symptoms  there  are  others  of  constitu- 
tional disturbance.  The  animal  wanders  away  from  the 
flock,  loses  appetite,  licks  the  earth,  is  thirsty  and  feeble. 
The  eyes  are  bloodshot,  the  breathing  labored  and  the  gen- 
eral condition  one  of  fever  of  more  or  less  severity  according 
to  the  violence  of  the  attack. 

Treatment. — The  treatment  of  the  disease  has  been  very 
unsuccessful,  and  consequently  the  more  attention  has  been 
given  to  its  prevention.  This  has  been  attempted  in  two 
directions  by  isolation,  and  by  ovination,  as  the  operation  of 
vaccination  is  called  when  applied  to  sheep. 

Professor  Gamgee  relies  entirely  on  isolation.  He  advises 
that  the  diseased  be  separated  to  a  long  distance  from  the 
healthy  animals  during  the  earliest  stages  of  the  malady; 
and  that  disinfectants  be  freely  and  liberally  used,  both  on 
the  sick  and  the  well.  He  has  no  confidence  in  inoculation 
or  ovination,  believing  that  it  rather  disseminates  than 
checks  the  malady. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  French  and  German  veterinarians 
are  nearly  unanimous  in  favor  of  ovination ;  and  if  we  can 
rely  on  the  statistics  they  furnish,  we  cannot  doubt  but  that 
it  has  succeeded  most  satisfactorily  in  staying  the  progress 
of  the  disease — quite  as  much  so  as  in  the  human  race.  In 
many  countries  of  Europe,  especially  in  Austria,  growing 


Smallpox  in  Sheep,  349 

lambs  are  regularly  vaccinated  in  the  spring,  when  from 
three  to  four  months  old,  the  general  result  being  a  very 
considerable  diminution  of  deaths  from  the  disease. 

The  sheep  lymph  used  for  inoculation  is  obtained  from 
separate  (discrete)  vesicles,  on  the  sixth  or  seventh  day  of  the 
eruption.  It  should  be  perfectly  clear  and  fluid,  like  water. 
The  animal  from  which  it  is  taken  should  be  otherwise 
healthy,  free  from  rot  and  scab,  and  if  possible  one  who 
has  been  vaccinated  previously,  or  at  all  events  has  the  dis- 
ease in  a  mild  form.  The  lymph  is  to  be  preserved  in  the 
same  manner  as  that  used  for  vaccination  in  man. 

The  most  suitable  place  for  inserting  the  lymph  in  the 
sheep  is  on  the  inner  side  of  the  ear,  this  spot  being  both 
convenient  to  the  operator  to  reach  and  less  liable  than  most 
to  be  injured  by  the  scratching  of  the  animal  when  the  pus- 
tule begins  to  itch.  There  is  no  special  manner  of  apj)lying 
the  lymph  ;  the  general  rules  adopted  for  this  simple  opera- 
tion in  children,  answer  as  well  for  the  sheep. 

It  is  needless  to  undertake  vaccinating  a  flock  unless  the 
pox  is  actually  in  the  neighborhood ;  and  then  it  should  be 
done  promptly,  and  repeated  until  every  sheep  has  had  the 
lymph  "  take  ^'  on  him  fairly.  Even  when  the  disease  has 
already  attacked  an  animal,  vaccination  should  be  performed, 
as  it  often  renders  the  course  of  the  malady  much  milder. 

LOTTPING  ILL— THE  GNAW  DISEASE— THORTER  ILL. 

Definition. — The  disease  called  by  these  uncouth  names  is 
an  afiection  of  the  spinal  cord,  common  in  lambs  and  young 
sheep,  but  rare  after  the  thu^d  year.  It  is  accompanied  by 
organic  changes  in  the  cord,  either  of  hardening  or  softening, 
or  with  watery  secretion.  It  corresponds  closely  to  that  dis- 
ease in  man  known  as  "myelitis,  with  sclerosis  or  ramollise- 
ment  of  the  cord,^'  both  in  symptoms  and  appearance  of  the 
cord  after  death. 


350  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

Causes. — The  disease  is  undoubtedly  hereditary,  and  it  is 
attributed  to  a  naturally  defective  organization  in  some 
herds.  Where  it  prevails,  it  is  prudent,  therefore,  to  change 
the  breed.  \ 

Symptoms. — One  of  the  first  symptoms  is  a  slight  weak- 
ness in  the  hind  quarters,  indicated  by  the  animal  taking 
broader  and  shorter  steps,  "  louping,"  or  loping  in  its  run. 
It  is,  moreover,  unable  to  jump,  and  if  it  attempts  to  do  so 
will  fall  on  its  fore  feet,  or  quite  on  the  ground.  If  it  un- 
dertakes to  run,  it  will  fall  frequently  and  rise  with  diffi- 
culty, staggering  and  trembling. 

Many  such  patients,  apparently  sensible  of  some  change  in 
the  sensation  of  the  hind  quarters,  will  gnaw  or  bite  at  their 
thighs,  pulling  the  wool  out,  and  sometimes  biting  to  the 
blood  and  making  a  scab.  This  habit  also  gives  one  of  the 
names  to  the  disease  by  which  it  is  known  in  some  parts  of 
the  United  States. 

As  the  disease  advances  the  animal  grows  stupid,  the  ears 
loll  loosely  down,  and  the  palsy,  which  was  at  first  confined 
to  the  hind  quarters,  extends  and  becomes  more  decided.  The 
appetite,  which  at  fiist  was  not  affected,  is  diminished,  flesh 
is  lost,  and  general  debility  and  emaciation  wear  out  the  pa- 
tient. 

The  duration  of  the  disease  is  from  two  to  three  months  ; 
as  a  rule  it  terminates  in  death ;  but  cases  are  not  rare  where 
the  symptoms  disappear  after  a  few  weeks,  and  the  animal 
resumes  its  natural  vigor. 

Treatment. — This  should  be  directed  to  active  stimula- 
tion of  the  spine  and  the  nervous  system. 

The  wool  should  be  clipped  close  along  the  backbone,  over 
the  loins,  and  the  part  rubbed  with  a  stimulating  ointment 
or  liniment,  such  as  Nos.  235,  239.     A  moderate  degree 


The  Sheep  Distemper,  351 

of  imtation  should   be  maintained  constantly.     Internally 
the  animal  should  hav( 


No.  393.  Powdered  nux  vomica,  1  oi. 

Water,  1  pt. 

Rub  up  together,  and  give  a  spoonful  daily. 

Exposure  should  be  avoided,  and  the  animal  should  not  be 
urged  to  exercise,  but  allowed  to  rest. 

MALIGNANT  EPIZOOTIO  CATARRH— THE  SHEEP  DISTEMPER. 

Definition. — An  epidemic  affection,  occurring  chiefly  in  the 
late  winter  and  early  spring,  accompanied  by  severe  conges- 
tion and  inflammation  of  the  lining  membrane  of  the  nasal 
cavities,  and  occasionally  of  its  prolongation  into  the  stomach 
and  bowels,  producing  symptoms  of  catarrh,  or,  in  the  second 
case,  of  catarrh  and  gastro-enteritis.  ' 

Causes. — As  in  most  of  the  epizootic  diseases,  the  cause  is 
unknown.  It  generally  prevails  at  the  close  of  wet,  open 
winters,  with  rapid  changes  of  temperature,  and  in  flocks 
which  have  been  confined  in  ill- ventilated  stables.  But  it  is 
also  not  uncommon  where  no  such  condition  prevails. 

The  periodical  recurrences  of  this  disease  have  proved 
very  fatal  to  Ai^erican  sheep,  and  even  yet,  according  to 
Col.  Randall,  it  "  continues  to  destroy  more  American  sheep 
than  all  other  maladies  combined.''  Sometimes  forty  or  fifty 
per  cent,  of  the  flock  succumb  to  it. 

Symptoms. — The  disease  commences  with  depression,  and 
a  slight  w^atery  discharge  from  the  nostrils  and  from  the  eyes, 
which  are  partly  closed  and  paler  than  natural.  The  ani- 
mal is  dull  and  drooping,  its  movements  languid,  and  more 
or  less  loss  of  appetite  is  manifest.  The  pulse  is  not  altered 
in  frequency,  or  but  slightly  so,  but  is  weaker  than  usual. 
There  is  no  cough,  and  the  breathing  is  not  affected,  except 
where  the  disease  is  associated  with  bronchitis. 


352  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

The  symptoms  mentioned  slowly  increase  in  severity  until, 
in  about  a  week,  there  are  evident  emaciation  and  great  pros- 
tration. The  nasal  discharge  is  thick  and  glutinous,  some- 
times tinged  with  blood ;  the  eyes  are  half  closed,  and  the 
lids  matted  by  a  yellow  secretion.  The  appetite  has  almost 
gone,  and  the  pulse  scarcely  perceptible.  The  respiration  is 
labored  and  difficult.  In  well-fed  sheep  the  bowels  continue 
natural,  as  a  rule ;  but  in  those  on  insufficient  or  poor  diet 
the  bowels  may  become  inflamed  and  swollen,  and  dysenteric 
symptoms  arise.  The  excrement  is  voided  with  pain,  and  it 
is  mixed  with  blood.  The  attack  usually  commences  with 
constipation.  The  average  length  of  the  disease  is  ten  to 
fifteen  days. 

After  death,  the  principal  and  characteristic  lesion  is  a 
highly  inflammatory,  thickened  and  congested  appearance  of 
the  lining  membrane  of  the  nostrils  and  nasal  cavities 
throughout,  sometimes  passing  into  ulceration.  This  condi- 
tion may  extend,  with  more  or  less  intensity,  to  the  mucous 
membrane  of  the  upper  throat  and  gullet ;  and  more  rarely 
down  the  latter,  and  to  the  bowels. 

Treatment. — It  must  be  acknowledged  that  no  plan  of 
treatment  has  been  tried  with  very  satisfactory  results.  Cer- 
tain rules  are,  however,  of  considerable  value.  No  bleeding, 
purging  or  depressants  must  be  used.  Concentrated  and 
nourishing  food  and  stimulants  are  demanded  from  the  out- 
set.    A  dry  and  equable  temperature  is  important. 

In  regard  to  medicines.  Col.  Randall  believes  that  he  has 

derived  advantage  from  the  use  of  corrosive  sublimate,  in 

small  and  repeated  doses,  providing  that  it  is  commenced 

early  in  the  disease.     He  combines  it  as  follows  : — • 

No.  394.  Corrosive  sublimate,  8  grains. 

Khubarb,  1  oz. 

Ginger, 

Gentian,  of  each  2  oz. 

Simmer  the  last  three  articles  in  a  quart  of  water,  for  fifteen  minutes, 
strain,  and  add  the  sublimate.  The  dose  is  two  tablespoonfuls,  twice 
a  day. 


CoUg  in  Sheep.  353 

COLIC— BLOWN— BLAST— WIND  DSOPSY. 

Definition. — By  these  names  is  known  the  swelling  of  the 
third  stomach  in  sheep,  hj  food  and  air,  or  gases.  It  is  the 
disease  which  in  cattle  is  called  hoven  (page  291). 

Causes. — The  most  frequent  cause  is  feeding  on  green 
clover,  or  other  strong  grass,  wet  with  rain  or  dew.  Musty 
and  ergoted  food,  such  as  on  stubble  fields  and  blighted  corn^ 
are  other  provocatives  of  the  disease ;  and  occasionally  it 
arises  from  a  constitutional  difficulty  in  digestion. 

Symptoms, — The  disease,  is  readily  recognized  by  a  swell- 
ing of  the  belly  on  the  left  side,  w^hich  appears  while  the 
animal  is  feeding,  or  shortly  afterward.  The  breathing  be- 
comes oppressed,  the  bowels  are  constipated,  the  eye  anxious 
and  wild ;  there  is  every  symptom  of  intense  pain. 

Some  say  that  in  sheep,  so  long  as  the  swelling  is  on  th^ 
left  side  only,  there  is  no  danger;  but  when  the  right  side 
partakes  of  the  distention  also,  it  is  a  sign  that  the  walls  of 
the  rumen  are  expanded  to  the  utmost  and  are  in  imminent 
danger  of  rupture. 

Treatment. — When  the  distention  is  great,  no  time  must 
be  lost  in  removing  the  w^ool  from  the  most  prominent  part 
of  the  swelling,  and  plunging  a  trocar  into  the  rumen,  to 
allow  the  air  to  escape.  When  a  trocar  is  not  at  hand,  a 
sharp-pointed  penknife  should  be  used,  the  edges  of  the 
opening  being  kept  apart  by  inserting  a  goose  quill  with  a 
collar  of  leather,  or  some  similar  hollow  tube. 

When  the  case  is  not  so  severe  as  this,  stimulants  and 
aromatics  are  the  medicines  demanded,  as : — 

Ko.  395.  Ground  mustard,  1  drachm. 

Whisky,  1  oz. 

Mix  and  give  in  a  small  quantity  of  water.    Eepeat  as  needed. 


354  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

No.  396.  Solution  of  potash,  2  drachms. 

Common  salt, 

Sweet  oil,  each,        1  oz. 

Mix  in  a  wineglass  full  of  water. 

Mechanical  means  are  often  employed  successfully  to  aid 
these  remedies,  or  independent  of  them.  The  swollen 
stomach  is  pressed  and  kneaded  with  the  hands,  which  urges 
the  gas  up  the  gullet.  Or  the  sheep  is  plunged  into  cold 
water,  which  brings  on  relaxation  of  the  gullet  and  the  gas 
escapes.  Or  a  rubber  tube  of  half-inch  calibre,  furnished 
with  a  button  of  wool  at  the  end,  to  prevent  clogging,  is 
thoroughly  oiled,  and  introduced  gently  into  the  gullet  and 
passed  down  to  the  stomach.  This  will  often  cause  the 
escape  of  air  in  large  quantity  and,  give  immediate  relief. 
Such  a  tube  has  various  uses,  and  one  should  be  about  every 
large  fold. 

BED  WATER—HJEMATTJEIA. 

The  name  "  red  water "  is  sometimes  applied  to  a  form 
of  dropsy,  where  the  water  accumulated  in  the  abdomen  is 
of  a  reddish  color ;  but  it  should  be  confined  to  a  disease, 
not  infrequent  in  various  localities,  characterized  by  a  red 
color  of  the  urine  due  to  the  presence  of  red  blood  coloring 
matter  in  it.     It  is  probably  acute  nephritis. 

Causes, — These  are  exposure  to  cold  and  wet;  lying  down 
on  cold,  marshy  ground ;  and  in  general,  chilling  from 
change  of  temperature.  Well  housed  sheep  rarely  suffer 
from  it. 

S3^ptoms. — The  attack  commences  with  diarrhea,  of  a 
dysenteric  character,  continued  scouring,  sometimes  of 
bloody  matter,  and  the  passage  of  pink,  red  or  dark  urine. 
The  animal  is  weak,  and  the  belly  swollen.  If  it  is  a  ewe, 
the  secretion  of  milk  is  suspended.  The  head  is  protruded 
or  hanging,  the  breathing  labored   and  panting.     As  the 


Red  Water— Foot  Bot  355 

diseasa  advances,  palsy  of  the  hind  quarters,  supervenes  and 
the  sheep  rises  up  with  difficulty,  or  not  at  all. 

Treatment. — The  animal  should  at  once  be  brought  in 
the  house  and  well  protected  from  wet  and  cold.  Its  loins 
and  belly  should  be  mopped  with  hot  mustard  water  and 
covered  with  a  rubber  cloth,  to  keep  the  heat  in.  Internally 
it  should  take — 

No.  397.  Oil  of  turpentine,  1  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  Ij  oz. 

Mix  for  a  dose. 

The  diet  should  be  nourishing  and  stimulating;  as,  for 
instance,  oat-meal  gruel,  made  with  cow's  milk,  and  contain- 
ing a  spoonful  of  powdered  ginger  or  essence  of  ginger. 
With  this  treatment,  recovery  is  pretty  sure  to  take  place. 

HOOF  EOT— FOOT  ROT. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  common  diseases  of  American 
sheep,  and  with  which  every  sheep  owner  in  all  parts  of  our 
land  is  pretty  certain  to  become  familiar  at  some  period  of 
his  experience. 

Causes. — As  to  its  cause,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  it 
is  generally  contagion — always  contagion,  many  observant 
breeders  say.  Others  assert  that  it  can  be  developed  spon- 
taneously by  pasturing  in  rank,  lush  grass,  on  damp 
meadows,  and  in  boggy  fields.  They  perhaps  confound  it 
with  foul,  in  the  foot,  which  is  a  comparatively  trifling  and 
temporary  affection. 

Symptoms. — The  descriptions  of  this  disease  as  it  appears 
in  various  prominent  English  works,  notably  those  of  Mr. 
Youatt,  are  misleading  and  inappKcable  to  the  American 
form  of  it,  especially  in  its  earlier  stages.  We  shall  there- 
fore rather  depend  on  the  descriptions  of  Col.  Randall  and 


S56  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

Mr.  Clok,  both  of  whom  have  observed  it  extensively  in 
various  parts  of  the  United  States. 

The  first  symptom  is  the  disappearance  of  the  naturally 
smooth,  dry,  pale  condition  of  the  skin  at  the  top  of  the 
cleft,  .over  the  heels.  It  becomes  somewhat  red,  warm  and 
moist,  and  slightly  rough  or  chafed.  Next,  the  moisture  in- 
creases to  a  discharge,  and  an  ulcer  is  formed  which  extends 
down  to  the  upper  portion  of  the  inner  wall  of  the  hoof. 
These  walls  are  then  attacked,  become  disorganized,  and  the 
disease  penetrates  between  the  fleshy  sole  and  the  bottom  of 
the  hoof.  The  hoof  is  thickened  at  the  heel,  by  an  unnatural 
deposition  of  horn.  The  crack  between  it  and  the  fleshy  sole 
pours  out  an  offensive  and  purulent  matter.  Soon  all  parts 
of  the  foot  are  penetrated  by  the  burrowing  ulceration,  the 
horny  sole  is  disorganized,  and  the  fleshy  sole  becomes  a 
black  and  swollen  mass  of  corruption,  shapeless,  spongy,  and 
often  filled  with  maggots. 

The  fore  feet  are  usually  first  attacked ;  lam^eness  is  early 
noticed  and  soon  becomes  complete ;  general  fever  comes  on 
late ;  the  appetite  is  lost,  and  the  animal  dies  from  exhaus- 
tion. 

The  offensive  odor  of  the  true  foot  rot  is  characteristic,  and 
once  made  familiar  wdll  serve  as  a  certain  guide  in  recogniz- 
ing the  disease.  The  disease  may  present  itself  in  a  malig- 
nant and  rapid  form,  or  in  a  mild  one.  Its  first  attack  on  a 
flock  is  generally  of  the  severer  character.  When  it  is  kept 
under  the  first  year,  its  appearance  the  next  summer  will  be 
mild ;  and  the  third  season  still  milder. 

Treatment. — While  it  is  evident  from  the  above  descrip- 
tion that  foot  rot  is  a  dangerous,  disgusting  and  painful 
disease,  we  have  the  satisfaction  of  adding  that  with  proper 
treatment  and  sufiicient  care,  it  is  always  curable.  In  fact, 
no  disease  of  the  sheep  yields  more  certainly  to  remedies 
properly  used.     And  if,  as  often  happens,  the  farmer  finds 


Treatment  of  Foot  Rot.  357 

his  sheep  still  limping  and  hobbling  after  he  has,  as  he 
thinks,  given  them  proper  attention,  it  is  because  he  has  been 
ignorant  of  what  the  case  demands. 

The  most  important,  the  absolutely  indispensable  part  of 
the  treatment  is,  the  preparation  of  the  hoof,  by  cutting  aioay 
every  pa7^tide  of  the  diseased  structure.  No  remedy  will 
succeed  if  this  is  neglected ;  almost  any  one  of  the  dozens 
recommended  will  be  satisfactory  if  this  is  well  done. 

The  sheep  should  first  have  their  feet  cleaned,  by  grazing 
a  day  or  two  in  a  short,  dry  pasture ;  or  by  being  driven 
through  a  gravelly  brook,  when  this  is  practicable.  As  for 
the  operation  itself,  Mr.  Clok  gives  the  following  directions, 
w^hich  are  none  too  minute : — 

The  operator  provides  himself  with  a  strong  and  sharp,  but 
narrow-bladed  knife.  He  seats  himself,  and  has  an  assistant 
turn  the  sheep  on  its  back,  and  open  the-cleft  of  the  hoof.  He 
then  begins  at  the  suture  and  cuts  out  all  horn  which  has  sepa- 
rated from  the  foot  and  is  suffused  with  matter.  The  inner 
sides  of  the  horny  capsule  deserve  special  attention,  as  do  also 
the  parts  where  the  horn  appears  whiter  and  softer  than  on 
the  other  parts  of  the  hoof.  The  knife  must  be  freely  used, 
and  all  loose  horn  removed  up  to  the  point  whete  the  con- 
nection remains  unimpaired.  The  bleeding  which  may 
occur  is  wholly  without  danger. 

A  knowledge  of  the  anatomy  of  the  sheep's  hoof  will  pre- 
vent the  abuse  of  the  knife.  It  is  proper,  in  all  cases,  to  pare 
dow^n  the  sick  hoof  considerably  at  the  toe  and  external  wall, 
because  it  can  then  be  more  easily  examined,  and  it  does  not 
touch  the  ground  so  forcibly  when  the  animal  is  walking  as 
when  it  is  larger  than  the  healthy  one.  The  knife  must  be 
cleaned  from  time  to  time,  so  that  the  matter  adhering  to  it 
does  not  infect  the  healthy  parts. 

If  the  disease  is  further  advanced,  and  the  secretion  has 
collected  far  down  in  the  hoof,  the  same  operation  is  per- 


358  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

formed ;  and  it  will  sometimes  be  necessary  to  remove  the 
whole  capsule.  Every  hidden  channel  which  may  be  present 
should  be  sounded,  oj)ened  and  laid  bare.  If  the  wound 
becomes  covered  with  blood  during  the  operation,  as  is  com- 
monly the  case,  it  should  be  frequently  dried  with  tow.  If 
a  single  diseased  place  remain  from  which  the  horn  is  not 
removed,  a  cure  cannot  be  expected.  After  cutting  away 
the  whole  or  a  part  of  the  horny  capsule,  it  is  always  neces- 
sary to  apply  a  bandage  to  protect  the  hoof  from  dangerous 
external  irritation. 

The  foot  thus  thoroughly  prepared,  the  next  step  is  to 
apply  a  caustic.  Of  these,  very  many  have  been  suggested. 
Colonel  Randall  prefers  to  everything  else  a  hot  saturated 
solution  of  sulphate  of  copper  (common  blue  vitriol).  He  fills 
a  large,  shallow  tank  with  water,  to  the  depth  of  four  inches, 
and  has  each  sheep  stand  ten  minutes  in  it,  or,  in  bad  cases, 
longer.  The  solution  is  kept  as  hot  as  the  hand  can  bear  it, 
by  the  addition  of  boiling  water,  saturated  with  the  vitriol. 
This  he  extols  as  the  most  certain,  the  easiest  and  the  cheap- 
est remedy  he  has  ever  tried. 

For  the  same  reasons  Mr.  Clok  praises  chloride  of  lime 
(common  bleaching  powder).  After  paring  the  foot,  he 
covers  it  with  the  chloride,  and  fills  the  cleft  with  a  piece  of 
tow,  whose  ends  are  twisted  into  a  small  cord  and  fastened 
around  the  pastern  joint.  This  forms  a  soft  and  tightly 
fitting  bandage.  The  hoofs  are  inspected  daily  for  some  time, 
and  the  chloride  renewed  if  necessary.  Two  or  three  appli- 
cations may  be  required.  In  malignant  cases,  before  apply- 
ing the  chloride,  he  would  bathe  the  parts  with — 

No.  398.  Creasote,  1  part. 

Alcohol,  4  parts. 

For  a  foot  wash. 

Of  the  many  other  applications  popular  in  rot,  we  give 
some  examples,  premising  with  the  remark  that  any  one  of 


Treatment  of  Foot  Rot,  359 

them  is  useful  if  the  foot  is  well  prepared,  and  no  one  of 
them  is  worth  much  otherwise. 

One  quite  popular  in  central  New  York  is — 

No.  399.        Sulphate  of  copper  (blue  vitriol),     1  lb. 
Acetate  of  copper  (verdigris),  ^  lb. 

Linseed  oil,  1  pint- 

Tar,  1  quart. 

Kub  the  vitriol  and  verdigris  in  very  fine  powder,  with  the  oil,  then 
add  the  tar  and  mix  thoroughly. 

Mr.  Finlay  Dun  speaks  well  of  the  followmg : — 

No.  400.  Powdered  sulphate  of  copper,       1  part. 

Tar,  3  parts. 

Mix  well  over  a  slow  fire. 

And— 

No.  401.  Oil  of  turpentine,  1  part. 

Sweet  oil,  3  parts. 

Used  in  tedious  cases  of  foot  rot. 

Carbolic  acid  in  6  or  6  per  cent,  solution,  nitrate  of  silver, 
chloride  of  zinc,  and  in  fact  almost  any  of  the  caustics  answer 
well. 

Whatever  preparation  is  used,  the  sheep  should  be  kept 
in  a  dry,  well-littered  shed,  or  on  a  short,  dry  pasture  for  a 
day  or  two  after  the  application,  as  if  they  are  at  once  turned 
into  a  field  covered  with  wet  and  high  grass,  it  is  obvious 
that  the  caustic  wall  in  great  part  be  washed  from  the  foot. 

The  foot  rot  is  essentially  a  local  disease ;  but  in  severe 
cases  it  is  advised  to  give  internally  a  tonic,  such  as — 

No.  402.  Common  salt,  1  to  2  drachms. 

Sulphate  of  iron. 

Nitrate  of  potash,  of  each  ^  drachms. 

Make  into  a  powder,  to  be  given  daily. 

When  the  rot  appears  in  its  most  malignant  form,  and  the 
case  is  a  very  bad  one,  many  veterinarians  claim  that  no 
remedy  is  equal  to  butter  of  antimony  (solution  of  terchlor- 
ide  of  antimony).  It  is  an  energetic  caustic,  and  must  be 
employed  cautiously.     As  it  cannot  be  diluted  with  water 


360  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

without  undergoing  decomposition,  it  should  be  mixed  with 
an  equal  quantity  .of  compound  tincture  of  myrrh.  Prof. 
Williams  states  that  for  general  use  in  the  disease  he  has 
found  it  as  effectual,  and  much  less  painful  to  the  animal 
than  any  other.  The  sulphate  of  copper  he  thinks  suitable 
for  mild  cases. 

As  a  preventive  of  foot  rot,  nothing  is  so  effective  as  a 
solution  of  arsenioy  used  in  the  following  manner : — 

Ko.  403.  Arsenic, 

Washing  soda,  of  each  2  lb. 

Water,  10  gaUons. 

Boil  slowly  to  eight  gallons,  and  fill  up  to  ten. 

With  this,  the  hoofs  of  the  sheep  are  thoroughly  sponged 
after  cleaning;  or  the  animal  is  obliged  to  stand  for  a 
minute  or  two  in  a  tub  or  shallow  trough  containing  it.  Some 
of  the  largest  Scotch  breeders  use  this  occasionally  during 
the  summer  and  fall,  and  as  a  consequence  foot  rot  is 
unknown  in  their  flocks. 


FOITL  IN  THE  FOOT. 

Although  sheep  are  much  less  subject  to  this  disease  than 
cattle,  they  will  contract  it  if  kept  in  wet  and  filthy  yards, 
or  on  moist,  boggy  pastures.  They  are  also  prone  to  it  in 
wet  seasons,  from  walking  in  the  tall,  dripping  grass. 

The  skin  in  the  cleft  of  the  foot  has  a  macerated  or  water- 
soaked  appearance,  accompanied  by  slight  inflammation, 
passing  into  ulceration,  and  bringing  on  lameness.  Often  at 
this  stage  it  is  mistaken  for  hoof  rot. 

The  treatment  of  the  disease  is  simple,  as  it  will  generally 
disappear  of  itself  if  the  flock  is  turned  on  dry,  short,  up- 
land pastures,  or  kept  in  a  clean,  well-littered  yard.  Further 
than  this,  it  is  well  to  wash  and  othermse  clean  the  feet,  and 
paint  them  with  a  mixture  of  one  part  powdered  blue  vitriol 


Stone  in  Sheep,  361 

rubbed  up  with  five  or  six  parts  of  tar ;  or  other  simple 
stimulant  and  cleansing  preparation. 

STONE  IN  THE  BLADDER. 

Male  sheep,  both  rams  and  wethers,  especially  when  highly 
fed,  are  subject  to  the  formation  of  stones  in  the  bladder. 
These  stones  are  not  of  carbonate  of  lime,  as  those  in  the 
horse  and  ox  (see  page  161),  but  like  those  occasionally 
found  in  the  pig,  consist  of  the  ammonio-phosphate  of  mag- 
nesia. 

Their  presence  is  attributed  to  high  feeding,  or  to  feeding 
on  some  special  article  of  diet,  especially  oil  cake  and 
turnips,  both  these  foods  being  rich  in  the  chemical  sub- 
stances which  make  up  the  stone. 

The  symptoms  are  difficulty  and  pain  in  passing  water, 
straining,  and  sometimes  bloody  urine. 

Treatment. — It  is  possible  to  operate  successfully  for 
stone  in  the  bladder  in  sheep;  but  unless  the  animal  is 
valuable,  it  is  not  worth  while  to  undertake  treatment. 

In  costly  rams,  kept  for  breeding  purposes,  after  the  stone 

is  removed,  ihQ  treatment  recommended    by  an  English 

writer,  Mr.  Litt,  may  be  undertaken  with  a  fair  prospect  of 

preventing  any  further  return  or  increase  of  the  trouble.  He 

begins  with  a  dose  as  follows  : — 

Ko.  404.         Castor  oil,  6  to  8  oz. 

Extract  of  belladonna,  8  to  16  grains. 

Mix  for  one  dose. 

After  this  has  acted  he  puts  the  ram  on  doses  of  bi- 
carbonate of  potash,  thirty  to  sixty  grains,  repeated  thrice 
daily,  freely  diluted  with  water.  The  bowels  are  kept  open 
by  laxative  food,  and  the  animal  is  given  plenty  of  exercise 


362  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

LAMBING  IN  THE  EWE. 

Northern  farmers  aim  to  have  their  lambs  yeaned  in  April 
and  the  first  weeks  of  May.  In  the  Merina  and  Saxon 
breeds  this  act  generally  takes  place  without  impediment ; 
but  in  high-kept  English  ewes,  difficult  positions  of  the  lamb 
occasionally  require  the  shepherd's  assistance. 

The  natural  position  of  the  lamb  in  leaving  the  womb  is  with 
the  nose  first,  and  the  fore  feet  on  each  side  of  it.  But  the 
lamb  can  be  born  without  much  delay  which  presents  with 
both  hind  feet  and  the  rump.  . 

The  general  methods  of  relief  are  the  same  in  false  presen- 
tations as  have  been  described  in  the  cow,  (page  320).  The 
broad  rules  are,  when  the  lamb  presents  unnaturally,  to  push 
it  back  into  the  womb ;  when  force  is  applied  to  withdraw 
it,  be  sure  that  it  is  exerted  in  the  line  of  the  vagina,  and 
simultaneously  with  the  labor  pains,  the  operator  resting 
when  they  pass  off;  and  the  exercise  of  traction  in  a  gentle 
and  steady,  not  in  a  jerking  manner. 

When  the  pains  are  deficient,  they  can  be  stimulated  with 

ergot,  as — 

No.  405.  Powdered  ergot, 

Powdered  ginger,  of  each  30  grains. 

For  one  dose. 

When  the  pains  are  excessive  and  exhausting,  the  follow- 
ing is  recommended,  to  render  them  regular  and  keep  up  the 
strength : — 

No.  406.  Spirits  of  camphor,  1  draclim. 

Laudanum,  J  oz. 

Give  in  some  gruel. 

As  in  cows  (see  page  323),  so  in  ewes,  the  womb  is  liable 
to  become  inverted  and  hang,  like  a  bag,  from  the  vagina. 
The  treatment  is  substantially  the  same.  It  should  be  well 
washed  with  alum  water,  carefully  returned,  and  retained 
either  by  a  bandage,  or  by  taking  a  single  strong   stitch 


Lambing  in  the  Ewe,  363 

through  the  lips  of  the  vagina.  If  this  falls  to  effect  a  cure, 
and  the  falling  of  the  womb  becomes  habitual,  it  should  be 
strongly  corded  close  to  the  vagina  and  allowed  to  slough 
off. 

Milk  Fever  in  Ewes, 

Puerperal  fever  or  milh  fever  is  not  common  among  ewes, 
at  least  in  the  United  States.  It  more  generally  affects  mid- 
dle-aged ewes  and  those  carrying  twins ;  those  which  are 
highly  fed  and  plethoric  are  special  subjects  for  its  attacks. 

The  early  symptoms  are,  loss  of  appetite ;  twitching  of  the 
hind  legs  and  ears ;  dullness  and  weakness ;  staggering ;  and 
the  discharge  of  a  dark-colored  and  offensively  smelling  fluid 
from  the  vagina.  The  time  of  attack  is  generally  a  few  days 
before  the  expected  yeanmg  time,  and  the  fetus  is  nearly 
always  discharged  dead,  and  often  putrid. 

The  treatment  recommended  by  an  experienced  New  York 
sheep  raiser  is  as  follows : — 

Separate  the  sick  ewe  at  once  from  the  flock,  and  give  her 

Ko.  407.         Sulphate  of  magnesia,  2  to  3  oz. 

Nitrate  of  potash,  1  drachm. 

Molasses,  3  oz. 
Give  in  a  pint  of  warm  linseed  gruel. 

Should  this  not  open  the  bowels  in  eight  or  ten  hours,  it 
should  be  repeated.  After  that  the  nitre  and  molasses  are 
continued,  without  the  salts,  as  long  as  there  is  fever.  If  the 
period  of  yeaning  is  at  hand,  as  is  generally  the  case,  a  little 
extract  of  belladonna  is  to  be  put  on  the  end  of  the  finger, 
and  placed  on  the  mouth  of  the  womb.  This,  repeated 
hourly,  will  soon  cause  relaxation  and  discharge  of  the  con- 
tents. The  womb  should  then  be  thoroughly  syringed  out 
with  warm  water  and  milk,  dilute  lime  water,  or  a  warm, 
weak  solution  of  chloride  of  lime  or  carbolic  acid  (1  or  2  per 
cent.).     The  ewe^s  position  is  made  as  comfortable  as  possi- 


364  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

ble,  and  always  changed  twice  a  day.  Tonics  and  nutritious 
food  are  called  for,  to  hasten  tlie  return  to  health. 

As  a  preventive,  a  small  quantity  of  grain,  say  half  a  pint 
per  head,  for  two  months  before  lambing,  is  generally  effi- 
cient. 

If  constipation  persists  after  lambing  or  abortion,  Prof. 
Gamgee  recommends  that  the  ewe  be  given — 

No.  408.  Sulphate  of  magnesia,  J  oz. 

Laudanum,  1  drachm. 

Powdered  camphor,  ^  drachm. 
Mix  in  gruel,  for  one  dose. 

Garget  in  Ewes, 

The  symptoms  of  this  are  enlargement  of  the  udder, 
which  is  hot  and  tender  to  the  touch  and  has  a  dense,  fleshy 
feeling.  Sometimes  it  is  so  sensitive  that  the  ewe  refuses  the 
lamb.  In  the  more  severe  type,  what  is  termed  "black 
garget,'Hhere  is  a  dark-colored  spot  or  spots  of  mortification 
on  the  udder,  which  break,  forming  ugly  and  intractable 
ulcers.  The  ewe  is  lame,  and  often  suffers  from  chills  and 
shivering. 

The  treatment  must  be  prompt.  The  udder  must  be 
thoroughly  fomented  with  a  sheepskin  dipped  in  hot  salt 
water,  and  if  tha  inflammation  is  high,  the  udder  hot,  and 
the  swelling  extending  upward,  blood  must  be  drawn,  to  the 
extent 'of  half  a  pint,  from  the  large  vein  which  runs  under 
the  belly.     Internally  the  ewe  should  have 

No.  409.         Sulphate  of  magnesia,  4  oz. 

Powdered  ginger,  1  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  J  oz. 
Mix  for  one  dose. 

If  these  measures  do  not  reduce  the  swelling,  as  soon  as 
matter  forms,  and  can  be  detected  by  a  fluctuating  feeling 
imparted  to  the  finger,  the  spot  must  be  lanced  freely,  the 
pus  turned  out,  and  the  cavity  thoroughly  syringed  with 
strong  salt  water. 


Rheumatism  in  Lambs,  365 

In  mild  cases  we  may  omit  the  turpentine  from  the  above 
and  giye — • 

No.  410.  Sulphate  of  magnesia,  3  oz. 

Flowers  of  sulphur,  1  oz. 

Mix  in  gruel. 

The  lamb  should  be  put  to  the  teat  as  often,  and  as  soon, 
as  practicable. 

RHEUMATISM  OF  LAMBS. 

A  disease  which  has  occasionally  been  spoken  of  as 
identical  with  the  one  described  as  Louping  111,  and  re- 
garded  as  a  species  of  "palsy,''  is  simply  acute  rheumatism 
as  it  manifests  itself  in  young  lambs,  within  the  first  few 
weeks  of  their  lives. 

Symptoms. — The  symptoms  are  not  always  the  same.  The 
first  is  generally  a  stiffness  of  one  or  more  legs.  Walking  is 
obviously  difficult,  and  the  motion  of  the  limbs  unnatural 
and  clumsy.  This  stiffness  extends  to  the  other  joints, 
especially  to  the  neck,  which  is  cramped,  and  unwillingly 
moved.  The  animal  is  listless,  depressed,  and  remains  in  one 
position.  The  bowels  become  obstinately  constipated,  and 
the  belly  lean  and  tucked  up. 

Usually  the  joints  swell  and  become  painful,  the  swelling 
being  hot  and  tender  to  the  touch.  After  death  these 
enlargements  are  found  to  be  due  to  inflammation  of  the 
cartilages  and  lining  membranes  of  the  joints,  presenting  the 
usual  appearance  of  acute  articular  rheumatism. 

The  disease  generally  lasts  from  one  to  two  weeks,  but 
death  may  occur  sooner ;  and  when  recovery  does  take  place 
it  is  generally  slow,  requiring  three  or  four  ^yeeks,  with  a 
liability  to  relapses. 

Treatment. — It  is  the  opinion  among  intelligent  breeders 
that  this  malady  is  frequently,  perhaps  generally  brought  on 


366  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

by  injudicious  feeding  of  the  ewe  during  her  period  of 
gestation,  thus  vitiating  the  blood  of  the  lamb,  and  render- 
ing it  unable  to  withstand  the  changes  of  temperature  to 
which  it  is  exposed.  Thus  it  is  stated  by  Mr.  Clok  that  if 
the  diet  of  the  ewe  during  the  last  months  of  pregnancy 
consists  of  much  clover,  hay,  potatoes,  grain,  and  drinks  of 
groats,  the  lambs  are  very  prone  to  palsy  soon  after  birth. 
Mouldy  food  of  all  kinds,  mouldy  oil  cakes,  rotten  carrots, 
potatoes,  etc.,  as  well  as  putrid  water,  are  very  injurious. 

The  injurious  influence  of  vitiated  food  in  producing  this 
rheumatic  disease  in  lambs  has  not  only  been  proved  by 
numerous  accidental  observations,  but  is  shown  beyond  a 
doubt  by  interesting  and  striking  direct  experiments.  The 
fact  that  the  milk  of  the  mother  exercises  great  influence  in 
the  production  of  the  disease  is  proved  by  the  experiment  of 
allowing  healthy  lambs  to  suck  the  milk  of  a  ewe  whose 
young  perished  in  this  way.  This  experiment  has  been  tried 
repeatedly,  and  the  lambs  were  always  affected  with  the  dis- 
ease.    The  fact  is  therefore  beyond  a  doubt. 

Not  only  vitiated  or  improper  food  causes  the  milk  of  the 
mother  to  become  injurious,  but  also  a  diseased  condition  of 
the  ewe,  especially  if  she  be  affected  with  the  fluke  and  rot. 
In  lambs,  catching  cold  is  a  source  of  the  disease,  which  is 
the  more  certainly  produced  if  the  above-mentioned  predis- 
position exists.  It  cannot,  however,  be  stated  with  certainty 
whether  catching  cold  is  necessary,  or  whether  the  disease 
may  be  produced  without,  nor  has  it  been  ascertained  if  it 
can  arise  solely  from  catching  cold  without  the  presence  of  a 
predisposition  for  the  disease  or  of  other  circumstances. 
Both  are  probable,  however.  It  is  most  common  during  the 
wet,  cold  days  of  March  and  April  and  during  bad  weather, 
especially  when  the  sheep  are  kept  in  warm,  narrow  and  close 
stables.     It  appears  particularly  in  weak,  thin-wooled  lambs 


Rheumatism  in  Lambs,  367 

whose  development  is  retarded,  probably  because  they  are 
most  sensitive  to  cold. 

Besides  securing  a  proper  diet  for  the  ewes,  the  lambs, 
which  are  constipated,  should  have  a  preventive  medical 
treatment,  by  giving  them  a  warm  laxative  drench,  such 
as 

No.  410.         Sulphate  of  magnesia,     ^  2  oz. 

Powdered  carraway  or  ginger,  ^  oz. 

Mix  in  a  half  pint  of  thin  gruel,  and  give  a  wineglassful,  warm,  to  a 
lamb  two  weeks  old. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  mild  forms  of  the  disease  Mr. 
Clok,  says  the  following  is  a  certain  remedy : 

No.  411.  Sulphuretted  antimony,  powdered,         5  parts. 

Fresh  butter,  1  part. 

Mix,  and  give  a  piece  the  size  of  a  hazel  nut,  three  times  a  day. 

Or  the  following ; 

No.  412.  Sal  ammoniac,  1  oz. 

Sulphate  of  soda,  2  oz. 

Essence  of  ginger,  1  drachm. 

Mix  in  a  quart  of  water,  and  give  a  teaspoonful  several  times  a  day. 

The  use  of  a  strong  decoction  of  willow  bark,  sweetened 
with  molasses,  and  given  in  spoonful  doses,  often  repeated, 
promises  well  in  such  cases. 

The  local  treatment  should  be  by  soothing  and  sedative 
liniments,  as  of  oil  and  laudanum,  or  soap  liniment,  with  hot 
fomentations.  The  swellings  should  not  be  irritated  with 
stimulating  liniments,  and  still  less,  opened,  as  some  ignor- 
ant persons  have  occasionally  done. 

Baths  are  efficient  agents  in  aiding  the  cure.  Some  prefer 
cold  baths  at  50°  Fahrenheit,  in  order  to  reduce  the  febrile 
symptoms.  But  better  results  will  be  obtained  by  warm 
baths  at  95°  to  100°  Fah.,  in  which  some  salt  and  mustard 
are  dissolved.  In  this  the  lamb  should  be  soaked  for  a  half 
hour  or  hour,  when  it  can  be  dried,  wrapped  in  a  woolen 
blanket,  and  placed  in  a  warm  corner. 


368  Diseases  of  SJieep, 

COITSTIPATION  IN  LAMBS. 

Lambs,  especially  those  which  are  fed  artificially,  either  on 
cow^s  milk  or  the  milk  of  other  ewes,  are  liable  to  constipa- 
tion. The  bowels  ceasing  to  act,  the  animal  droops,  and 
lies  down  most  of  the  time.  Its  belly  becomes  distended, 
the  urine  becomes  scanty  or  almost  suspended,  the  brain  is 
oppressed,  a  stupor  supervenes,  and  if  not  speedily  relieved, 
the  animal  dies. 

The  treatment  in  such  cases  may  be  by  medicines  which 
act  on  the  bowels,  or  by  injections  into  the  rectum,  or  by 
both  combined.  Two  or  three  spoonfuls  of  melted  lard,  or 
one  spoonful  of  castor  oil  are  suitable  internally.  But  the 
most  reliable  treatment  is  to  give  the  lamb  an  injection  of 
warm  milky  about  the  temperature  of  the  body,  colored  to  a 
light  brown  by  molasses  stirred  in  it,  two  or  three  ounces 
of  which  are  to  be  administered  with  a  small  syringe.  To 
give  this  properly,  the  lamb  should  be  held  up  perpendicu- 
larly by  the  hind  legs,  so  that  the  fore  feet  but  just  touch  the 
floor,  during  and  for  a  moment  after  the  injection.  If 
hardened  dung  is  not  discharged  with  the  fluid,  or  soon  after- 
ward, the  injection  is  to  be  repeated. 

If  after  the  medicine  has  operated  the  lamb  continues  in- 
active and  dull,  it  requires  a  tonic,  as  some  spoonfuls  of 
strong  boneset  tea  {Eupatorium  perfoliatum),  or  this,  recom-^ 
mended  by  Prof.  Gamgee : — 

No.  413.         Golden  sulphur  of  antimony,  f  drachm. 

Common  salt,  1  drachm. 

For  a  dose,  once  daily. 

DIAEEHEA  IK  LAMSS. 

Diarrhea,  which  frequently  attacks  whole  herds  on  first 
feeding  on  green  grass,  is  usually  of  no  danger ;  and  when 
in  individual  cases   simple  diarrhea  calls  for  attention,  it 


Diarrhea  in  Lambs,  369 

slioiild  be  treated  on  the  same  principles  and  with  the  same 
remedies  previously  recommended  for  calves  (see  page  337). 
But  in  sucking  lambs  diarrhea  is  often  a  very  fatal  disease, 
and  must  receive  the  closest  attention  of  the  shepherd,  in 
order  to  rescue  the  patient. 

Causes. — These  are  chiefly  exposure  to  cold,  sudden 
changes  of  temperature,  as  a  hot  stable  in  winter,  and  the 
drafts  and  bad  air  it  involves,  and  improper  diet.  Cold 
di'inks  and  a  plethoric  condition  of  the  ewe  are  other  causes. 

S3n^ptoms. — These  are  well  described  by  Mr.  Clok,  as 
follows  :  The  disease  appears  without  warning ;  the  lamb 
becomes  languid  and  sad,  keeps  away  from  the  other  lambs, 
stands  with  bent  back,  or  lies  down  frequently.  The  ex- 
crement, w^hich  is  repeatedly  discharged,  is  thin,  whitish  or 
greenish,  afterward  watery  and  mixed  with  mucus,  and  finally 
bloody.  The  animal  ceases  to  suck  and  eat,  but  is  very 
thirsty.  It  bleats  frequently,  evinces  signs  of  pain  if  pres- 
sure is  applied  to  its  belly,  and  makes  efforts  to  discharge 
excrement.  The  lamb  rapidly  loses  flesh,  its  belly  sinks  in, 
and  death  ensues  between  the  second  and  fifth  days,  and 
sometimes  even  on  the  first  day. 

If  the  body  is  opened,  the  rennet-bag  especially,  and  a 
large  portion  of  the  intestines,  are  found  to  be  inflamed. 
The  rennet-bag  and  the  intestines,  particularly  the  inflamed 
parts,  contain  a  substance  looking  like  cheese  or  curdled 
milk.  The  best  sheep  are  most  liable  to  the  disease,  but  if 
it  appears  as  a  plague,  all  lambs  without  distinction  suffer 
from  it. 

Treatment. — This  should,  of  course,  be,  in  the  first  place, 
to  do  away  with  the  predisposing  causes  we  have  mentioned 
above.  A  general  rule  is  to  change  the  food  as  soon  as  the 
diarrhea  appears  in  a  fold,  even  though  it  may  not  seem  to 
be  at  fault.    Ventilation,  pure  air,  and  a  temperature  between 

24 


370  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

50°  and  60°  are  to  be  obtained,  when  possible.     One  of  the 

best  of  foods  for  lambs  is — 

No.  414.         White  of  egg,  1  part. 

AVater,  6  parts. 

Beat  together,  and  give  milk-warm,  as  much  as  the  patient  wants. 

A  little  laudanum  can  be  added  to  this,  if  desired.  The 
albumen  of  the  egg  is  soothing  and  restraining  to  the  deli- 
cate intestinal  membrane,  while  it  supports  the  strength. 
For  a  mild  medicine,  the  following : — 

Kg.  415.         Prepared  chalk.  2  oz. 

Ginger,  in  powder,  ^  oz. 

Opium,  in  powder,  1  drachm. 

Mix  in  a  pint  of  peppermint  or  calamus  tea,  and  give  a  tablespoonful 
night  and  morning. 

When  more  positive  astringent  action  is  demanded,  one 
ounce  of  powdered  catechu  should  be  added  to  the  above. 

In  serious  cases,  where,  as  above  mentioned,  the  stools 
become  slimy  and  tinged  with  blood,  and  the  weakness  is 
great,  we  must  have  recourse  to  arsenic.  Two  to  three  drops 
of  Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic  should  be  given  three  or  four 
times  a  day,  in  a  teaspoonful  of  water,  to  a  young  lamb. 
Sometimes  such  cases  can  be  benefited  by  small  doses  of 
quinine,  two  or  three  grains  given  five  or  six  tunes  a  day. 

One  variety  of  diarrhea  in  lambs  is  known  as  the  "  white 
scour,"  because  the  excrement  is  of  ;i  whitish  color.  It  is 
usually  watery  and  very  acrid,  and  irritating  to  the  external 
parts.  "With  it  there  is  much  colic,  loss  of  appetite,  and 
rapidly  increasing  weakness. 

In  all  cases  this  arises  from  the  non-digestion  of  the  ewe's 
milk.  Either  the  lamb  has  a  weak  stomach,  or  overloads  it, 
or  the  milk  is  not  of  a  healthy  character.  Highly  fed  ewes 
are  specially  liable  to  have  this  disease  in  their  lambs,  their 
milk  probably  being  too  rich. 

The  treatment  is  to  prevent  the  lamb  taking  so  much,  or 


Diarrhea  in  Lambs.  371 

to  put  it  on  dilute  cow's  milk  for  a  few  days.     In  addition, 
it  should  have  an  alkaline  laxative,  to  clear  the  bowels — 

No.  416.  Bicarbonate  of  potash, 

Calcined  magnesia,  of  each  J  oz. 

Divide  into  eight  powders,  and  give  one  four  times  a  day. 

This  may  be  given  for  one  or  two  days,  until  the  character 
of  the  evacuations  changes.  Should  the  weakness  be  threat- 
eningly great,  the  following  will  be  found  unsurpassed : — 

No.  417.         Eggs,  2 

AVhiskey,      ^  2  oz. 

Essence  of  ginger,  1  drachm. 

Beat  up  in  a  pint  of  oatmeal  gruel,  made  with  milk,  and  give  a  few 
spoonfuls  every  3  hours. 

TTJRNSICK—STTJUDY—GID— HYDATID  OF  THE  BEAIH". 

Definition. — A  disease  of  the  brain  of  the  sheep,  character- 
ized chiefly  by  vertigo,  and  owing  to  the  presence  in  the 
brain  of  a  hydatid,  or  bladder-worm,  the  Ccenurus  cerebralis. 

Causes. — ^ye  know  more  about  the  the  species  of  parasite 
which  causes  this  disease  than  about  many  other  species  of 
those  strange  animals.  The  bladder-worm  of  the  head  of 
the  sheep  is  nothing  else  than  a  form  of  the  tapeworm  of 
the  dog,  Tcenia  cenurus,  at  an  earlier  stage  of  its  existence. 
The  mature  tape  worm,  lives  in  the  bowels  of  the  dog;  its 
eggs  are  passed  with  the  excrement,  and  they  feed  on  the 
grass  which  the  sheep  eats,  and  are  swallowed  with  the  food ; 
thus  introduced  to  a  suitable  home,  they  select  as  their 
quarters  the  animaPs  brain,  in  the  substance  of  which  they 
attain  their  full  growth,  which  may  be  about  the  size  of  a 
hen's  egg. 

Kot  more  than  two  can  develop  in  the  brain  at  one  time, 
and  it  is  rare  to  find  more  than  one  of  any  considerable  size. 
The  victims  are  usually  lambs  and  hoggets,  sheep  over  two 
years  being  rarely  affected.     It  prevails  most  where  dogs  are 


372'  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

used  to  attend  the  sheep,  and  where  they  frequent  the  pas- 
tures. 

The  bladder  consists  of  a  thin  membrane,  filled  with 
watery,  yellowish  fluid,  in  which  a  large  number  of  small, 
white  bodies  are  floating,  each  the  immature  tapeworm, 
provided  with  hooks  and  a  sucking  mouth,  which  it  applies  to 
the  inner  walls  of  the  bladder,  and  through  them  derives  its 
nourishment  from  the  brain  substance. 

Symptoms. — These  are  curious  and  well  marked,  ^yhen 
the  animal  is  first  affected  there  are  staggering,  reeling  and 
stupefaction,  little  appetite  and  debility.  In  walking  the 
animal  describes  a  circle,  always  turning  in  the  same 
direction,  lifting  its  feet  high,  and  often  running  against  ob- 
stacles. Total  blindness  and  deafness  may  ensue.  These 
may  subside  for  a  while,  as  the  contents  of  the  skull  adapt 
themselves  to  the  hydatid ;  but  as  it  continues  to  enlarge  and 
consume  the  brain,  the  symptoms  return  with  greater  sever- 
ity, palsy  creeps  on,  the  animal  can  no  longer  stand,  becomes 
insensible  and  dies. 

The  location  of  the  hydatid  in  the  brain  is  indicated  by 
the  motion  or  turning  of  the  sheep.  If  it  is  in  the  left  lobe 
or  half  of  the  brain  the  animal  turns  to  the  right ;  if  in  the 
right  lobe,  his  turning  is  to  the  left ;  if  in  the  back  part  of 
the  brain,  the  cerebellum,  the  movements  are  performed 
without  control,  the  head  is  elevated,  the  limbs  moved  with 
difficulty,  and  he  starts  and  falls  repeatedly ;  finally,  if  the 
hydatid  is  in  the  middle  of  the  brain  in  front,  the  sheep  goes 
forward  in  a  straight  line,  holds  its  nose  in  the  air,  steps  very 
high,  and  soon  loses  the  sight  of  one  or  both  eyes. 

The  growth  of  the  hydatid  is  rather  rapid,  and  in  three 
weeks'  time  from  the  first  appearance  of  the  symptoms,  if 
the  skull  be  pressed  firmly  with  the  thumb  where  the  above 
rules  point  out  the  lodging  of  the  hydatid,  a  noticeable  de- 
gree of  softening  will  be  found,  as  if  the  skull  were  want- 


Hydatid  of  the  Brain,  373 

ing  m  that  particular  spot.  In  fact,  the  bone  has  become 
thin,  and  been  absorbed  by  the  suckers  of  the  small  tape- 
worms above  described  ;  and  sometimes  the  skin  is  accident- 
ally broken,  the  hydatid  emerges  and  ruptures  its  cyst,  and 
the  sheep  recovers. 

Treatment. — The  natural  cure  just  described,  which,  how- 
ever, is  very  rare,  suggests  the  proper  course  of  treatment. 

The  head  must  be  repeatedly  felt,  for  the  soft  spot  in  the 
skull,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  fixed  upon,  a  trocar  and  canula  are 
introduced,  the  trocar  withdrawn,  a  syringe  applied  through 
the  canula,  and  the  contents  of  the  cyst  extracted. 

This  treatment  always  alleviates  for  the  time,  but  it  is 
liable  to  be  followed  by  inflammation  of  the  brain  and 
death  ;  or  by  the  growth  of  another  hydatid,  which  requires 
the  repetition  of  the  operation.  Hence  we  would  suggest 
another  means  of  easy  application,  which  has  proved,  in  some 
hands,  very  successful.  This  is,  not  to  open  the  cyst  to  the 
air,  which  is  very  liable  to  produce  destructive  inflammation, 
but  to  puncture  its  walls  with  the  needle  of  a  strong  hypo- 
dermic syringe  and  inject  into  it  with  some  of  the  following 
solution  : — 


No.  418.         Iodine, 

Iodide  of  potash. 
Water, 

1  grain. 
5  grains. 
loz. 

Mix  and  use  a  half  teaspoonfiil  at  a  time. 

Important  preventive  measures  are  to  keep  dogs  away 
from  the  sheep  folds  and  walks ;  or  to  giv^e  them,  if  required 
for  attendance  on  the  sheep,  a  good  tapeworm  vermifuge, 
now  and  then ;  and  to  administer  the  same  to  the  sheej> 
themselves. 


374  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

SHEEP  BOTS— GRUBS  IN  THE  HEAD— HEAD  MAGGOTS. 

We  have  described  on  an  earlier  page  (p.  150),  the  his- 
tory of  the  gadfly  or  bot  fly  in  the  horse.  The  species  of  the 
same  insect  which  attacks  the  sheep,  the  oestrus  ovis,  does  not 
choose  the  stomach  or  bowels  as  the  place  of  its  residence 
when  in  the  larval  condition,  but  a  far  more  annoying  part 
of  the  body  of  its  unwilling  host,  to  wit,  the  nostrils  and 
frontal  sinuses,  or  hollow  chambers  in  the  front  of  the  skull 
communicating  with  the  nostrils. 

The  sheep  greatly  dread  the  fly,  and  at  its  approach  will  run 
wildly  about,  bury  their  nostrils  in  the  dust,  or  gather  together 
in  groups,  with  their  heads  downward,  jostling  against  each 
other,  to  drive  away  their  enemy.  When  struck  by  the  fly 
they  stamp  the  ground  violently,  and  exhibit  other  signs 
of  distress,  amounting  to  agony. 

As  soon  as  the  larva  is  deposited  at  the  entrance  of  the 
nostril,  it  proceeds  upw^aj:d,  holding  on  by  the  firm  hooks 
which  arm  its  head,  and  makes  its  w^ay  into  the  furthest 
recesses  of  the  nasal  chambers,  causing  the  animal,  in  its 
progress,  great  pain  and  irritation,  resulting  sometimes 
in  vertigo,  inflammation  of  the  brain,  madness  and  death. 
When  the  disease  has  reached  its  highest  point  the  animal 
loses  flesh,  falls  down  frequently,  grinds  its  teeth,  rolls  its 
reddened  eyes,  and  finally  dies  on  the  fourth  or  eighth  day. 
In  mild  cases  recovery  takes  place  unaided ;  the  larvae  are 
thrown  out  by  frequent  sneezing,  along  with  mucus ;  and 
this  is  the  only  sure  sign  of  the  disease,  at  least,  for  the  non- 
professional. Sometimes  vertigo  is  present  at  the  same 
time. 

If  the  head  of  a  dead  animal  is  opened,  more  or  less 
larvae  are  found  in  the  above-mentioned  cavities,  which  re- 
semble those  found  in  the  stomachs  of  horses.  The  mucous 
membrane  of  these  cavities  is  inflamed,  red,  bluish,  dark- 


Grubs  in  the  Head,  375 

red  or  ash-colored,  and  sometimes  even  gangrenous  at  dif- 
ferent points.  Thirty  and  even  forty  of  these  larvse  have 
been  found  together,  but  there  is  generally  a  much  smaller 
number  present. 

Treatment. — The  line  of  treatment  pursued  may  be  in 
three  directions : — 

1st.  By  violent  sneezing  the  bots  can  sometimes  be  expelled 
from  the  nostrils.  For  this  purpose,  tobacco  snuff  can  be 
shaken  into  the  animal's  nostril;  or  when,  owing  to  the 
number,  this  is  impracticable,  they  may  be  driven  into  a  close 
shed,  and  irritating  substances,  such  as  horn,  leather,  feathers, 
etc.,  be  burned. 

2dly.  In  severe  cases,  the  horns  are  sawed  off  close  to  the 
head,  the  sinuses  opened  with  a  trocar,  and  some  sweet  oil, 
flavored  with  turpentine,  is  poured  in. 

3dly.  The  sheep  are  seized,  and  the  nose  held  up,  while  a 
teaspoonful  or  two  of  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  sw^eet  oil 
and  turpentine  are  poured  into  the  nostrils.  This  requires 
some  care,  that  the  animal  is  not  choked  by  the  fluid  passing 
into  the  lungs.     It  is,  however,  very  efficacious. 

To  prevent  the  flies  from  depositing  their  eggs  in  the  nos- 
trils, some  shepherds  smear  the  noses  of  the  sheep  with  tar 
dm-ing  June  and  July  ;  others  run  furrows  across  the  field, 
so  that  the  sheep  can  protect  themselves  from  the  flies  by 
burying  their  nose  in  the  dirt. 

LTTNG  WORMS— THE  HOOSE  IN   LAMBS. 

Deflnition. — A  disease  caused  by  the  presence  in  the 
breathing  tubes  (the  windpipe  and  bronchi),  and  the  bowels, 
of  a  worm,  called  the  lung  worm,  strongulus  filaria.  The 
complaint  is  quite  common  in  Ohio,  where  it  is  known  as 
"  white  skin,''  the  "  pale  disease,"  "  paper  skin,"  "  pelt  rot," 
etc.,  from  the  bloodless  appearance  which  precedes  death.  It 
is  often  very  fatal,  though  it  should  not  be,  as  it  is  a  curable 
disease. 


376  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

Cause. — While  in  one  sense  we  know  the  cause  of  this 
disease,  as  stated  in  the  definition  above,  in  another  sense  we 
are  ignorant  of  it,  as  the  origin  and  life  history  of  these 
curious  parasites  are  still  a  sealed  book  to  us.  The  disease 
prevails  especially  in  low,  damp  situations ;  on  grounds  sub- 
ject to  overflow,  and  grown  with  rank  grass ;  after  heavy 
rains,  and  in  the  autumn  months.  It  has  already  been  to 
some  extent  discussed,  in  speaking  of  hoose  in  calves. 
According  to  the  best  authorities,  the  disease  is  steadily 
increasing,  both  in  England  and  the  United  States.  {See 
mghland  Agric.  Soc,  Reports,  1878). 

The  worm  itself  is  from  one  to  three  inches  in  length, 
slender  and  whitish,  like  a  thread,  and  while  in  sheep  they 
are  mostly  found  in  the  bronchial  tubes,  in  lambs  they  are 
discovered  in  the  lung  tissue  itself.  When  in  the  lungs  of 
sheep,  they  are  not  active,  but  folded  in  cysts.  Often  they 
are  matted  together  in  masses  or  balls,  which  choke  up  the 
passages  they  inhabit. 

Symptoms. — The  presence  of  these  worms  does  not  always 
cause  inconvenience  to  the  sheep.  Occasionally  prime,  and 
to  all  appearances  perfectly  healthy  animals  are  killed,  whose 
lungs  are  found  filled  with  them.  In  lambs,  however,  they 
are  a  frequent  cause  of  death. 

When  lodged  in  the  bowels,  the  symptoms  are  those  of 
dysentery,  with  fetid  stools.  There  is  much  straining,  and  clots 
of  blood  may  be  passed.  When  in  the  lungs,  they  cause  irrita- 
tion and  inflammation,  indicated  by  a  husky  cough,  quickened 
breathing,  rubbing  the  nose  on  the  ground,  loss  of  appetite 
and  flesh,  and  exhaustion.  These  symptoms  are  clearly  not 
positive,  and,  indeed,  the  only  unquestionable  sign  of  the 
presence  of  the  worm  is  its  discovery  in  the  feces,  or  in  the 
mucus  from  the  mouth  and  throat.  The  combination^  how- 
ever, of  a  cough  in  a  number  of  lambs,  occurring  often  with 
dysenteric  symptoms,  and  under  the  conditions  above  men- 


PARASITES    OF   ANIMALS. 


Treatment  of  lAing  Wonns,  377 

tioned,  sliould  lead  to  the  careful  examination  of  the  lungs  and 
windpipe  of  the  first  victim,  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  the 
parasite.  The  complaint  is  often  mistaken  for  a  sort  of 
"  scours,"  but  if  attention  is  paid  to  the  short,  husky,  often 
almost  incessant  cough,  which  is  nearly  invariably  present  in 
all  forms  of  the  disease,  such  an  error  will  not  be  committed. 

Treatment. — The  preventive  treatment  is  to  feed  the 
lambs  on  fresh  pastures ;  second  and  third  year  crops  are  to 
be  specially  avoided,  if  they  have  been  previously  grazed  by 
sheep.  In  damp  seasons,  hilly  and  well-drained  fields  should 
be  chosen  ;  and  abundance  of  nutritive  food  furnished. 
Rock  salt  should  be  placed  in  the  fields,  or  common  salt 
given  frequently. 

To  cure  the  disease,  the  worm  should  be  attacked  both  in 
the  lungs  and  in  the  bowels.  To  destroy  them  in  the  lungs, 
chlorine  gas  has  been  recommended  for  inhaling ;  but  it  is 
unsafe,  and  sulphurous  acid  gas  is  equally  efficient.  The 
animals  are  placed  in  a  roomy,  closed  shed  or  stable,  and  the 
gas  obtained  by  burning  sulphur,  as  recommended  on  page 
29.  Should  the  chlorine  gas  be  preferred,  it  is  to  be 
managed  as  follows : — 

Get  a  pound  of  chloride  of  lime  (bleaching  powder),  and 
mix  it  with  water  in  a  shallow  dish,  to  about  the  thickness 
of  cream.  The  sheep  should  be  collected  in  a  closed  shed  or 
stable,  and  the  operator  enters,  provided  with  this  dish  of 
chloride  and  a  bottle  of  common  sulphuric  acid  (oil  of  vitriol). 
He  pours  the  acid  very  gradually  on  the  chloride,  by  which 
the  chlorine  gas  will  be  rapidly  disengaged.  He  continues 
it  as  long  as  he  can  conveniently  breathe  the  air  thus 
saturated  with  the  gas,  and  when  he  can  do  this  no  longer 
w^ith  comfort,  he  retires,  taking  his  apparatus  with  him. 
The  sheep  are  left  to  breathe  the  gas  for  half  an  hour,  and 
should  be  subjected  to  it  twice  a  day  for  several  days. 

Both  when  in  the  lungs  and  intestines,  turpentine  inter- 


378  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

nally  will  dislodge  or  destroy  the  worms.  This  penetrating 
oil  is  probably  carried  by  the  blood  to  the  lungs,  where  its 
fumes  are  so  unpleasant  to  the  parasites  that  they  are  dis- 
lodged. An  eminent  English  authority,  Dr.  Crisp,  in  a 
recent  essay  on  this  disease,  furnishes  the  following  as  excel- 
lent receipts  for  this  purpose : — 

Ko.  419.         Sulphate  of  magnesia,  6  oz. 

Nitrate  of  potash,  4  oz. 

Pour  on  these  three  pints  boiling  water,  and  when  the  solution  is 
milk  warm,  add  :— 

Oil  of  turpentine,  4  oz. 

Bole  armeniac,  J  oz. 

Mix  well,  and  give  three  or  four  tablespoonfuls  every  other  day. 

Or— 

No.  420.         Common  salt,  3  lb. 

Powdered  ginger, 

Nitrate  of  potash,  each  J  lb. 

Dissolve  in  three  gallons  warm,  water,  and  when  nearly  cold,  add— 

Oil  of  turpentine,  24  oz. 

The  dose  for  lambs  from  four  to  six  months  old  is  one  wineglassful. 

The  above  quantity  will  suffice  for  160  lambs. 

Mr.  Finlay  Dun  recommends  that  when  lung  worms  pre- 
vail, throughout  the  summer  and  fall  months  the  lambs 
should  have,  about  once  a  fortnight,  a  dose  of  the  following 
tonic  and  vermifuge  ruixture  : — 

No.  421.  Oil  of  turpentine. 

Powdered  gentian, 

Laudanum,  of  each  2  oz. 

Dissolve  in  a  quart  of  linseed  tea  or  lime  water.    This  is  enough  for 
ten  or  twelve  doses. 

Prof.  N.  S.  Townshend,  of  Ohio,  who  has  written- ably  on 
this  disease,  gives  to  lambs  the  following : — 

No.  422.         Oil  of  turpentine,  |  oz. 

Whiskey.  1  pint. 

Shake  together,  and  give  a  tablespoonful  once  a  day  for  a  week  or  two* 


The  RoL  379 

THE  ROT— THE  LIVER  FLTTKE. 

Definition. — A  disease  of  the  sheep  caused  by  the  presence 
in  the  liver  of  a  flat  worm,  of  the  order  Trematoda,  and 
known  as  the  liver  fluke,  Fasciola  hepatica. 

Cause. — The  close  attention  which  has  been  given  of  late 
years  to  the  study  of  parasites  has  resulted  in  a  history 
almost  complete  of  the  fluke  worm.  The  mature  worm 
throws  off  several  thousand  eggs,  which  pass  with  the  feces 
from  the  anus.  Some  of  them  are  carried  by  rains,  or  the 
feet  of  passing  animals,  into  water  courses.  There  they  de- 
veloj)  into  higher  forms,  and  take  up  their  residence,  for  a 
time,  in  the  bodies  of  shell  fish  and  water  insects.  At  the 
time  of  an  inundation,  numbers  of  them,  with  and  without 
their  hosts,  are  left  on  the  meadows.  The  sheep  eat  them 
with  the  grass,  and  the  miniature  fluke  passes  down  the 
bowel  until  it  reaches  the  liver  duct,  which  it  ascends,  and 
forthwith  begins  its  final  development  and  ovulation. 

Hence  it  is  that  the  rot  is  especially  prevalent  during  the 
spring  of  the  year,  when  rains  are  abundant  and  freshets 
frequent ;  in  wet  seasons,  when  the  meadows  are  damp  and 
overflowed  at  times  ;  and  on  low  grounds,  where  the  transfer 
of  aquatic  worms,  etc.,  to  the  soil  is  rendered  easy. 

The  fluke  itself  is  a  flat,  transparent  or  whitish  worm, 
from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  in  length,  and  about  a  third  as 
much  in  breadth.  It  is  usually  found  in  the  liver,  but 
occasionally  in  other  internal  organs.  Their  number  is  fre- 
quently enormous,  reaching  occasionally  to  eight  hundred  or 
a  thousand  individuals  in  a  single  liver. 

Symptoms. — In  wet  seasons,  and  in  certain  localities,  the 
loss  by  the  rot  in  sheep  is  very  heavy.  It  is  quite  destructive 
in  Australia,  at  times  in  England,  and  in  some  parts  of  the 
United  States.     Hence  it  becomes  of  prime  importance  id 


380  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

recognize  the  early  signs  of  the  disease,  in  order  that  efficient 
measures  for  its  prevention  may  be  adopted. 

The  Scotch  shepherds  tell  the  presence  of  the  fluke  in  two 
ways :  1,  by  the  feel  of  the  flesh ;  2,  by  the  appear- 
ance of  the  eye.  They  catch  a  ewe,  and  clapping  their  hand 
on  the  small  of  the  back,  they  rub  the  flesh  backward  and 
forward,  betwixt  their  fingers  and  thumb  and  the  ends  of 
the  short  ribs.  If  the  flesh  is  solid  and  firm  they  consider 
her  as  sound ;  if  they  find  it  soft  and  flabby,  and  imparting 
a  crackling  feel  to  the  fingers,  as  if  there  was  water  or 
blubber  in  it,  they  consider  it  a  sign  of  unsoundness. 

The  other  plan  is  to  take  the  sheep's  head  between  the 
hands,  and  press  down  the  eyelids  so  as  to  push  forward  the 
winking  membrane  (membrana  nictitans),  and  bring  into 
view  the  white,  or  conjunctiva.  In  health,  this  is  thin,  pink, 
and  free  from  turbid  secretion ;  and  if  it  appears  thickened, 
yellowish,  or  dead  white,  with  a  secretion  altered  to  a  whitish 
or  yellowish  matter,  the  sheep  is  condemned. 

The  progress  of  the  rot  is  usually  slow.  The  animal  be- 
comes inactive  and  dull ;  the  lining  membrane  of  the  mouth 
turns  pale,  the  flesh  wastes,  the  skin  loses  its  ruddy  color, 
becomes  dry,  and  devoid  of  the  natural  oil  on  the  fleece.  It 
is  said  that  a  dry,  scaly  state  of  the  skin  on  the  inner  side  of 
the  thighs,  particularly  where  it  is  uncovered  with  wool  or 
hair,  is  one  of  the  earliest  symptoms  apparent. 

As  the  disease  progresses,  the  flanks  become  hollow,  the 
back  rigid,  and  there  are  weakness  and  tenderness  about  the 
loins.  The  fleece  falls  off*  in  patches,  the  belly  swells,  the 
eye  becomes  jaundiced,  and  there  is  dropsy  in  different  parts 
of  the  body.  The  thirst  is  usually  excessive,  the  appetite 
irregular  and  unnatural ;  there  are  diarrhea,  a  weak  heart  and 
general  stupor. 

After  death  the  liver  is  found  to  be  hard,  irregular,  of  a 
dirty  chocolate  brown,  and  filled  with  flukes.     The  meat  is 


The  Rot  or  Fluke.  381 

flabby,  pale  or  yellow,  watery  and  wasted,  very  different  in 
firmness  and  color  from  healthy  mutton. 

Treatment. — As  it  may  be  considered  certain  that  the 
fluke  cannot  dev^lope  its  various  stages  of  life  on  dry  land, 
it  is  important  to  secure  well-drained  pastures  for  sheep. 
Should  a  flock  once  be  attacked,  it  is  better  to  dispose  of 
them,  and  turn  the  pasturage  into  cultivation  for  a  few 
seasons. 

In  wet  seasons,  when  there  is  danger  from  the  rot,  even  on 
sound  pastures,  the  natural  food  should  be  supplemented  by 
cakes,  corn,  beans,  or  other  nutritious  diet.  An  abundance 
of  common  salt  is  recognized  by  all  writers  to  be  very  effi- 
cient in  preventing  the  disease.  It  may  be  placed  freely  in 
the  pastures,  where  they  can  gain  access  to  it,  or  it  may 
advantageously  be  given  in  a  combination  as  follows  : — 

No.  423.  Common  salt,  2  lbs. 

Sulphate  of  iron,  1  lb. 

Mix  with  clover,  meal,  or  grain,  for  100  sheep.    Give  twice  or  three 
times  a  week. 


o 


No.  424.  Mustard  flour,  1  lb. 

Juniper  berries, 

Common  salt,  of  each,  2  lbs. 

Mix  with  suflicient  ground  food  for  100  sheep. 

These  remedies  should  be  continued  regularly,  as  long  as 
the  wet  weather  or  exposiu-e  exists. 

When  the  disease  has  been  recognized,  the  animal  should 
be  isolated  in  a  high  and  dry  pasture,  and  should  receive  a 
laxative  dose,  as  follows  : 

No.  425.         Sulphate  of  magnesia,  ^  lb. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  3  drachms. 

Mix  for  a  drench,  and  give  every  two  days,  one-third  of  the  quantity 
at  a  dose. 

When  this  has  acted,  the  sheep  should  have  common  salt, 
sulphate  of  iron  and  wormwood,  or  gentian,  mixed  into  a 


382  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

lick.     The  food  should  be  highly  nutritious  and  abundant. 

An  English  writer,  Mr.  John  Large,  says  the  only  remedy 
which  will  destroy  the  fluke  in  the  liver  is  the 
following : — 

No.  426.         Yellow  resin,  If  drachms. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  If  oz. 

Calomel,  18  grains. 

Tincture  of  iodine,  80  drops. 

For  three  doses,  one  every  morning,  for  three  days,  in  gruel. 

INTESTINAL  WORMS. 

Sheep  are  liable  to  be  infested  with  a  number  of  varieties 
of  intestinal  worms,  such  as  tapeworms,  round  worms,  thread 
worms,  etc.  It  is  needless  to  describe  and  portray  these  in 
this  work,  as  their  specification  belongs  rather  to  the  realm  of 
the  strictly  scientific  than  of  practical  w^orks. 

The  symptoms  they  produce  are  in  many  instances  very 
obscure,  sometimes  not  at  all  manifest.  It  is  no  unusual 
sight  to  find  a  sheep  apparently  in  excellent  health  and  con- 
dition when  slaughtered,  to  have  many  of  these  parasites  in 
its  stomach  and  intestines. 

In  general  terms,  it  may  be  said  that  the  symptoms  they 
give  rise  to  are  connected,  first,  with  the  digestive  organs, 
and  secondly,  by  sympathy,  with  the  brain.  Thus  a  loss  of 
appetite,  or  a  liking  for  dirt,  old  mortar  on  walls,  etc., 
together  with  constipation  and  diarrhea  alternating,  irritation 
about  the  nose  or  the  anus,  indicated  by  the  animal  rubbing 
those  parts,  and  a  short,  dry,  or  husky  cough,  are  signs  of 
irritation  in  the  bowels,  which  may  well  come  from  worms. 

The  head  symptoms  are,  dizziness,  as  shown  by  staggering 
or  falling,  sometimes  convulsions,  impairment  of  the  sight, 
running  into  obstacles,  etc. 

The  positive  sign  is  to  find  some  of  the  worms  in  the  ex- 
crement ;  or  to  discover  them  on  opening  the  intestines,  in 
which  case  it  may  very  justly  be  presumed  that  they  prevail 


Worms,  383 

extensively  in  the  flock,  for  these  species  of  parasites  rarely 
appear  alone. 

Treatment. — The  prevention  of  worms  is  best  secured  y 
allowing  a  liberal  quantity  of  salt,  and  by  giving,  once  a 
fortnight,  a  saline  tonic,  and  bitter  lick  to  the  flock,  as,  for 
instance — 

No.  427.  Common  salt,  ^  2  lbs. 

Sulphate  of  magnesia,  1  lb. 

Sulphate  of  iron, 

Powdered  gentian,  each  ^  lb. 

Mix  with  ground  fodder,  for  75  to  100  sheep. 

Ordinary  wood  soot,  as  it  can  be  collected  from  the  chim- 
ney, is  a  very  efficient  vermifuge,  often  used,  both  in  children 
and  the  lower  animals.  It  may  be  mixed  with  salt,  or 
sprinkled  on  the  fodder.  Another  cheap  and  useful  vermi- 
fuge, in  the  form  of  a  drink,  is — 

No.  428.         Quick  lime,  ^  1  lb. 

Sulphate  of  iron,  5  oz. 

Mix  wf(h  five  gallons  of  water,  and  give  a  pint  twice  a  week. 

As  a  vermifuge  in  round  and  thread-worms,  the  shepherd 
may  use — 

No.  429.         Linseed  oil,  2  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  2^  oz. 

For  a  drench. 

For  the  tapeworm,  the  following: — 

No.  430.  Powdered  areca  nut,  f  to  1  drachm. 

Oil  of  male  fern,  10  to  20  drops. 

Give  in  molasses  and  water,  and  follow  next  day  with  a  purge.     This 
is  also  very  effective  in  the  dog. 

THE  SCAB-THE  MANGE,  OR  ITCH,  IN  SHEEP. 

Definition. — A  highly  contagious  disease  of  the  skin, 
caused  by  tlie  presence  of  a  parasite  in  or  upon  the  skin. 

Causes. — Tliere  are  three  different  forms  of  parasites 
which  produce  the  scab,  the   most  common   one  in   this 


384  Diseases  of  Sheep, 

country  being  that  known  as  the  Dermatodedes  ovis.  It 
dwells  upon  the  skin,  deriving  its  nouiishment  by  sucking 
the  fluids  of  the  animal.  Its  bites  cause  severe  irritation, 
and  a  discharge  of  serous  fluid,  which  dries  on  the  surface 
into  scabs,  whence  the  disease  derives  its  name. 

The  notion  that  the  scab  ever  arises  from  neglect,  cold  and 
wet,  starvation,  etc.,  is  obsolete,  as  it  would  involve  the 
spontaneous  generation  of  the  insect,  which  is  absurd.  That 
it  is  worse  under  such  conditions  is  natural ;  and  that  it  oc- 
casionally arises  without  known  cause  is  owing  to  the  in- 
tensely contagious  nature  of  the  complaint,  the  astonishing 
fecundity  of  the  insect,  and  its  tenacity  of  life.  A  pasture 
which  has  been  trod  by  a  flock  of  scabby  sheep  has  been 
known  to  give  the  disease  to  another  flock  three  years  after- 
ward. 

It  is  surprising  that  Col.  Eandall,  in  his  able  works  on 
sheep  husbandry,  says  that  the  scab  is  "comparatively  little 
known''  in  the  United  States.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  a  very 
common  disease  in  New  England,  New  York,  and  other 
sheep-growing  centres. 

S3fmptoms. — The  first  and  most  prominent  symptom  is 
itchiness,  which  soon  gives  the  animal  a  ragged  appearance, 
tufts  of  wool  being  pulled  out,  leaving  bare  patches.  If  the 
skin  is  closely  examined  at  these  places,  a  small,  reddish 
pimple  will  be  noticed,  upon  the  surface  of  which  a  small  blis- 
ter or  vesicle  forms.  Close  examination  may  discover  the 
insect  in  the  vicinity. 

Under  this  irritation  the  sheep  becomes  exceedingly  rest- 
less. It  rubs  itself  against  trees,  fences  and  rocks,  and  bites 
and  scratches  itself  with  feet  and  teeth.  The  scabs  are  torn 
off,  sores  form  and  extend,  the  appetite  is  lost,  the  fleece  is 
ruined,  and  the  animal  dies,  worn  out  with  the  increasing 
torment. 


Treatment  of  the  Scab.  385 

Treatment. — This  consists  either  in  dijiping  the  sheep  in 
a  solution  of  some  insecticide  preparation ;  or  in  rubbing 
such  a  preparation  into  its  skin.  As  ointments  are  both 
expensive  and  troublesome^  watery  solutions  are  at  all  times 
preferable. 

The  most  eifectual  of  all  sheep  dips  are  those  containing 
arsenic.  Mr.  Finlay  Dun  speaks  very  highly  of  the  follow- 
ing:— 

No.  431.  Arsenic, 

Pearlash,  or  soda  ash, 

Sulphur, 

Soft  soap,  of  each,  3  lbs. 

Mix  in  ten  gallons  of  boiling  water,  and  add  cold  water  to  make  one 
hundred  gallons. 

The  sheep,  except  his  head,  of  course,  is  held  in  this  from 
half  a  minute  to  a  minute,  while  it  is  well  rubbed  into  his 
fleece.  He  is  then  lifted  on  to  a  slatted  drainer,  over  a  tub, 
and  the  wool  well  squeezed  out;  he  isthen  placed  in  a  yard 
for  a  few  hours,  as  it  is  unsafe  to  turn  them  on  a  pasture 
with  this  poisonous  fluid  dripping  from  them  on  the  grass. 
Horses,  cattle  and  sheep  have  been  known  to  be  poisoned  by 
neglect  of  this  precaution. 

The  sulphur  in  the  above  receipt  whitens  and  softens  the 
fleece,  and  for  a  time  keeps  away  the  flies.  One  gallon 
of  the  mixture  is  the  estimated  amount  used  for  each  sheep. 

Mercurial  ointment,  and  dips  containing  corrosive  sublim- 
ate, we  do  not  recommend,  as  they  are  too  dangerous  and 
difficult  to  control. 

Tobacco  is  a  favorite  American  remedy,  but  it  is  rather 
dear.  A  good  formula  is  the  one  above  given,  substituting 
for  the  arsenic  a  strong  decoction  of  eight  or  ten  pounds  of 
tobacco. 

Carbolic  acid,  cresylic  acid  and  the  commercial  oil  of  tar, 
properly  diluted,  are  all  effective  and  cheap,  but  have  the 
disadvantage  of  discoloring  the  wool ;  and  if  used  too  strong, 

25 


386  Diseases  of  Sheep. 

are  apt'  to  become  absorbed,  and  lead  to  congestion  of  the 
lungs,  and  other  poisonous  effects.  A  New  York  breeder  of 
experience  recommends — 

No.  432.  Soda,  carbonate  of,  6  lbs. 

Water,  6  gallons. 

Heat  to  a  boiling  point,  and  add — 

Oil  of  tar,  2  gallons. 

Add  hot  water  sufficient  for  one  hundred  sheep. 

His  general  rule  is  to  dilute  the  spirit  of  tar  with  twelve 
times  its  bulk  of  water. 

The  following  dip  is  popular  in  France.  It  is  efficient, 
and  does  not  stain  the  wool : — 

No.  433.         Arsenic,  2  lbs. 

Sulphate  of  zinc,  10  lbs. 

Boil  in  sixty  gallons  of  water,  down  to  fifty,  then  add  ten  gallons. 

The  following  is  said,  by  Prof.  Simonds,  to  be  so  effective 
that  two  or  three  dressings  with  it  will  cure  the  most  inveterate 
cases ;  and  as  it  does  not  require  the  troublesome  preparation 
of  a  bath,  it  is  very  suitable  to  small  flocks : — 

No.  434.         Arsenic, 

Carbonate  of  potash,  of  each  2  oz. 

Boil  in  a  quart  of  water  till  dissolved,  and  then  add  water  to  make 
one  gallon.    Then  make  the  following  infusion : — 

Digitalis  leaves,  4  oz, 

Boiling  water,  1  gallon. 

When  cold,  add  to  the  previous  gallon. 

In  using  this,  about  half  a  pint  is  shaken  from  a  bottle 
with  a  quill  in  the  cork,  over  the  back  and  sides  of  the  sheep, 
the  wool  being  parted,  so  that  the  fluid  reaches  the  skin. 

For  those  who  j^refer  ointments,  we  add  several  of  the  best 
preparations  of  the  kind.  They  should  be  applied  as  fol- 
lows :  Begin  at  the  head  of  the  sheep,  and  proceeding  from 
betAveen  the  ears,  along  the  back,  to  the  end  of  the  tail,  divide 
the  wool  in  a  furrow,  till  the  skin  can  be  touched,  and  let  a 
hnger,  slightly  dipped  in  the  ointment  be  drawn  along  the 
bottom  of  the  furrow.     From  this  furrow  similar  ones  must 


Treatment  of  the  Scab.  387 

be  drawn  along  tlie  shoulders  and  thighs,  to  the  legs ;  and 
others,  parallel  to  these  described,  in  number  depending  on  the 
severity  of  the  disease. 

No.  435.          Mercurial  ointment,  1  lb. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  ^  pint. 

Resin,  1  lb. 

Lard,  6  lbs. 
Dissolve  the  resin  in  the  turpentine,  mix  the  mercurial  ointment  with 

the  lard  by  gentle  heat,  and  when  cold,  rub  the  two   mixtures 
together. 

No.  436.  Oil  of  turpentine,  4  oz. 

Flowers  of  sulphur,  6  oz. 

Lard,  1  lb. 

Mix  at  gentle  heat.     This  is  a  non-poisonous  ointment. 

No.  437.  Corrosive  sublimate,  2  oz. 

Fish  oil,  2  gallons. 

Rub  the  sublimate  with  a  few  ounces  of  the  oil,  until  perfectly  smooth, 

then  mix  thoroughly  with  the  remainder.     This  is  efficient,  but,  of 

course,  poisonous. 

In  all  cases  rigid  isolation  of  the  infected  sheep  should  be 
practiced,  and  a  close  watch  kept  on  the  remainder  of  the 
flock,  so  that  at  the  first  signs  of  itchiness  they  shall  receive 
prompt  treatment. 

The  Australian  dip  for  scab  is — 

No.  438.         Tobacco  leaves. 

Sulphur,  of  each,         1  lb. 

Water,  5  gallons.- 

Boil  the  tobacco  in  the  water,  then  add  the  sulphur. 

The  sheep  is  dipped  in  this  solution  while  quite  hot,  and  re- 
tained in  it  four  or  five  minutes,  its  head  being  from  time  to 
time  thrust  under  also. 

The  following  is  a  non-poisonous,  and  tolerably  efficient 
dip  : — 

No.  439.  Soft  soap,  IJ  lb. 

Carbonate  of  potash,  ^  lb. 

Flowers  of  sulphur,  2^  lbs. 
Boil  for  half  an  hour,  in  20  gallons  of  water. 

This  is  enough  for  twenty  sheep.  It  must  be  kept  hot, 
and  the  animals  should  remain  in  it  for  full  five  minutes. 


388  Diseases  of  Swine. 

CHAPTER    YI. 

DISEASES   OF   SWINE. 

General  Remarks  on  Diseases  of  Swine. 

Hog  Cholera^  so-called^  and  its  varieties. 

Charbon  in  Swine — Malignant  Anthrax — Carhunmlar 
Disease —  White  Bristle. 

Contagious  Pneumo-enteritis  ;    Red  Soldier  ;    the  Blue  Dis- 
ease; Purples. 

Malignant  Epizootic  Catarrh. 

Apoplexy  and  Staggers. 

Coughs,  Colds,  Quinsy,  and  Inflammation  of  the  Langs, 

Diarrheal  Diseases — Scours. 

Ague  Cake— Milt  Swelling— Splenitis. 

Leprosy. 

Trichinosis. 

Hydatids  of  the  Kidneys— Kidney  Worms— Lard  Worms. 

Measles. 

The  Mange,  Itch,  or  Scab. 

Lice. 

'  GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  DISEASES  OF  SWINE. 

If  the  remark  is  correct,  which  we  quoted  on  the  au- 
thority of  leading  agriculturists  (page  342),  that  the^  sheep 
is  unusually  healthy  in  the  United  States,  no  one  will  say 
the  same  in  reference  to  the  hog.  On  the  contrary,  he  is 
liable  to  so  many  and  such  extremely  fatal  diseases,  that  the 
loss  from  them  is  estimated  at  many  millions  of  dollars  an- 
nually, and  in  some  sections  of  country  they  render  the 
business  of  hog  breeding  a  very  precarious  one. 

Considering  the  amount  of  capital  involved,  it  is  extra- 
ordinary that  these  diseases  have  not  received  closer  study  at 
the  hands  of  experts.     Several  of  them  are  contagious  or 


Hog  Cholera.  389 

infectious  to  a  high  degree,  and  demand  stringent  quarantine, 
isolation  or  destruction  of  the  herds,  in  order  to  confine  their 
ravages. 

Nearly  all  these  epidemics  are  of  a  rapidly  debilitating, 
prostrating  character,  forbidding  bleeding,  and  the  use  of 
depressing  medicines.  Their  treatment  is  further  compli- 
cated by  the  difficulty  in  giving  a  hog  medicine.  In  fact,  to 
undertake  to  administer  a  drench  to  a  full-grown  animal  is 
a  dangerous  undertaking ;  and  it  is  desirable,  therefore,  to 
select  such  drugs  as  can  be  mingled  with  the  food  and  drink 
without  rendering  the  nourishment  repulsive  to  the  animal. 
And  as  he  is  not  delicate,  this  can  generally  be  accomplished. 
Like  the  sheep,  the  pig  is  very  subject  to  parasitic  diseases, 
partly  owing  to  his  uncleanly  habits  (which,  however,  be  it 
said  to  his  credit,  are  the  results  of  his  domestication,  the 
^\dld  2)ig  being  quite  neat  and  tidy),  but  chiefly  to  his  gross 
habit  of  body.  Of  these,  the  trichina,  measles,  kidney 
worm  and  mange  are  the  most  prominent  examples. 

HOG  CHOLERA,  SO  CALLED. 

Of  the  diseases  which  produce  the  great  mortality  of  swuae, 
that  called  "Hog  cholera^'  is  most  notorious.  In  fact, 
however,  this  name  was  applied  to  ihQ  disease  simply  because 
it  is  a  malignant  epidemic,  destroying  as  the  cholera  destroyed 
in  its  first  and  second  visits  to  the  United  States,  not  because 
the  symptoms  in  any  way  resemble  those  of  Asiatic  cholera. 

Three  different  forms  of  disease  are  popularly  included 
under  this  name.  We  have  described  two  of  them,  as  they 
appear  in  the  sheep,  the  ox  and  the  horse,  and  we  shall 
recognize  their  identical  traits  in  the  hog.  The  first  of  these 
is  that  known  as  charbon,  or  malignant  anthrax  (see  page 
276).  In  this  country  it  is  little  to  be  dreaded  in  horses 
and  sheep,  but  is  quite  destructive  in  oxen,  and  also  in  hogs. 
The  second  variety  is  almost  peculiar  to  swine,  and  has  been 


390  Diseases  of  Swine. 

called   by   Dr.    Klein,    of  London,    "contagious   pneumo- 
enteritis/' 

The  third  is  the  malignant  epizootic  catarrh  or  influenza, 
which  we  have  described  in  the  sheep  and  horse  (page  351), 
who  suffer  from  it,  at  times  severely,  especially  the  former. 
We  shall  thus  divide  the  maladies  grouped  popularly  under 
the  name  "  hog  cholera  "  into — 

1 .  Charbon,  anthrax  or  splenic  fever. 

2.  Contagious  pneumo-enteritis. 

3.  Epizootic  catarrh. 

And  we  shall  endeavor  to  give  such  distinguishing  traits 
that  they  may  be  recognized  one  from  the  other,  without 
difficulty. 

CHARBON  IN  SWINE —MALIGNANT  ANTHRAX— SPLENIC  FEVER- 
WHITE  BRISTLE. 

"We  are  aware  that  an  authority  of  weight  in  this  country. 
Prof.  James  Law,  has  denied  the  existence  of  charbon  in 
swine.  His  essay  w^as  published  by  the  United  States  Com- 
missioner of  Agriculture,  and  has  had  an  extensive  distribution. 

Nevertheless,  both  from  considerable  personal  observation, 
and  a  careful  study  of  the  subject  in  authors,  we  believe  Prof. 
Law  to  be  in  error.  The  only  reason  he  gives  for  denying 
the  existence  of  charbon  is,  that  in  the  cases  he  witnessed  the 
poison  was  not  communicable  to  other  animals.  From  his 
descriptions,  it  is  clear  that  the  disease  he  encountered,  and 
for  which  he  proposes  the  name  "  intestinal  fever  of  swine,^' 
was  contagious  pneumo-enteritis,  which  we  shall  shortly 
describe. 

The  hog  we  believe  to  be  subject  to  true  anthrax,  quite  as 
much  as  the  ox  and  sheep.  The  blood  in  these  cases  conveys 
the  anthrax  poison,  as  has  been  shown  to  be  the  case 
by  M.  Roche  Lubin,  in  his  admirable  description  of  this 
disease,  which  he  calls  charbonneuse  typhus ;  for  although  liis 


Oharbon  and  Anthrax, 


391 


inoculation  failed  in  dogs,  it  was  not  the  same  with  some 
sheep.  They  died  a  few  days  afterward,  j^resenting  all  the 
symptoms  and  pathological  lesions  of  true  charbon  fever 
(quoted  by  Mr.  H.  D.  Eichardson,  Bomestle  Figs,  p.  123). 
We  shall  draw  clearly  the  distinction  between  charbon  and 
contagious  pneumo-enteritis,  as  laid  down  by  the  distinguished 
recent  investigator,  Dr.  Klein,  of  London,  in  the  Proceedings 
of  the  Eoyal  Society  for  1878. 

Contagious   Pneumo-enteritis. 
Period  of  incubation  from 
two  to  five  days  and  more. 


True  Charbon, 

Period  of  incubation  or  lat- 
ency, from  a  few  hours  to 
three  days. 

Easily  transmissible  to  other 
species  of  animals. 

Sj^leen  always  enlarged  and 
often  broken  down. 

Blood  after  death,  dark  and 
fluid. 

Bacillus  anthracis  in  the 
blood. 


Lungs  and  bowels  frequent- 
ly not  implicated.  Cough 
may  be  absent. 

The  discoloration  local,  and 
of  a  true  carbuncular  appear- 
ance. 


Earely  and  with  difficulty 
transmitted  to  other  species. 

Spleen  rarely  enlarged,  or 
otherwise  changed. 

Blood  after  death  of  ordin- 
ary appearance. 

!No  bacillus  anthracis  in  the 
blood,  but  numberless  bacilli 

and 


in  the  serum  of  thorax 
abdomen. 

Lungs  and  bowels  alicays 
both  ipflamed.  Cough  always 
present. 

The  red  or  purple  color 
diffused  over  the  surface,  and 
of  an  erysipelatous  appear- 
ance. 

With  the  above  table  before  him,  it  will  not  be  possible 
for  any  ordinarily  careful  observer  to  confound  the  two 
diseases.  No  doubt  there  is  a  strong  analogy  between  them, 
as,  in  both,  diverse  species  of  the  same  vegetable  organism 
are  the  exciting  cause  of  the  contagion. 


392  Diseases  of  Swine, 

The  most  common  form  of  anthrax  in  pigs  is  that  popu- 
larly known  as  "  white  bristle."  The  poison  localizes  itself 
in  a  carbuncular  swelling,  usually  on  the  throat,  presenting 
the  features  of  color  already  described.  The  bristles  on  the 
spot  turn  white  and  brittle,  whence  the  name  just  given. 
The  swelling  extends  inward,  involving  the  windpipe  and 
gullet,  causing  difficulty  of  breathing  and  swallowing,  and 
finally  death  by  suffocation,  in  convulsions. 

In  addition  to  this  we  occasionally  see  the  true  apoplectic 
or  splenic  form  of  charbon,and  the  variety  which  attacks  the 
tongue  and  mouth,  both  of  which  have  already  been  de- 
scribed as  they  occur  in  other  animals  (see  pages  278,  344) ; 
but  as  they  are  of  rare  occurrence  in  pigs,  and  present  no 
symptoms  beyond  those  already  given,  except  such  as  are 
owing  to  their  localities,  we  need  not  describe  them  at  length. 
They  are  both  very  acute  and  rapidly  fatal,  the  apoplectic 
form  often  killing  "like  a  shot,''  literally  in  less  than  a 
minute. 

The  flesh  of  all  animals  dying  of  any  form  of  this  disease 
is  poisonous,  and  the  blood  and  discharges  capable  not  only 
of  spreading  the  disease  among  others  of  the  same  species, 
but  also,  if  inoculated  into  the  human  system,  of  bringing 
on  that  mortal  malady,  "malignant  pustule." 

Treatment. — This  has  been  already  discussed  when 
speaking  of  charbon  in  cattle  and  braxy  in  sheep  (see  pages 
279,  345)  and  we  need  not  repeat  here  the  instructions 
there  given.  They  apply,  with  such  modifications  as  the  size 
and  habits  of  the  animal  render  necessary,  to  swine.  And  as 
both  charbon  and  contagious  pneumo-enteritis,  which  will  be 
next  described,  are  due  to  a  contagion  essentially  alike  in 
character,  we  shall  include  the  treatment  of  anthrax  under 
that  of  the  latter  complaint. 


Forms  of  Hog  Cholera,  393 

C0NTAGIOUS  PNETJMO-ENTEEITIS. 

Definition. — A  specific,  contagious  inflammation  of  the 
lungs  and  bowels,  accompanied  with  red  or  purple  blotches 
on  the  skin. 

This  is  the  disease  known  in  Ireland  as  "red  soldier/'  and 
in  this  country  as  the  "purples''  and  "the  blue  disease."  It 
is  the  most  common  and  fatal  form  of  the  epidemic  diseases 
classed  under  the  popular  name  "hog  cholera.'' 

Causes. — The  predisposing  causes  of  the  disease  are  ex- 
tremes of  temperature ;  wet  seasons ;  damp,  low-lying, 
swampy  feeding  grounds  ;  drinking  water  impregnated  with 
decaying  animal  or  vegetable  substances  ;  close,  filthy  styes ; 
and  above  all,  a  sudden  increase  of  concentrated,  heating, 
highly-nutritious  food,  producing  a  plethoric  state  of  the 
system,  and  a  blood  surcharged  with  incompletely  trans- 
formed constituents. 

Such  are  the  acknowledged  predisposing  causes  ;  whether 
they  can  originate  the  disease  is  a  debatable  question.  In 
our  opinion  they  cannot ;  they  can  only  lay  the  system  open 
to  an  easy  subjection  to  the  subtle  poison  of  the  malady, 
which  is  floating  in  the  atmosphere.  This  poison  is  almost 
certainly  a  vegetable  germ,  of  extreme  minuteness  (see  page 
276) ;  and  if  it  is  such,  the  real  cause  of  the  disease  can 
be  contagion  only,  for  the  "spontaneous"  origin  of  any  form 
of  animal  or  vegetable  life  has  never  yet  been  demonstrated. 

When  the  disease  once  enters  a  herd,  its  contagious 
character  cannot  be  doubted,  and  all  ages,  sexes  and  condi- 
tions fall  equally  a  prey  to  it. 

The  precise  nature  of  the  contagion  may  now  be  said  to 
have  been  definitely  determined.  The  researches  of  Dr, 
Klein,  in  1878,  already  alluded  to,  prove  that  pneumo- 
enteritis,  is,  like  anthrax,  due  to  a  Bacillus,  a  rod-like, 
minute  vegetable  organism,  found,  however,  not  in  the  blood, 


Contagious  Pneumo-Enteritis,  395 

quarters,  and  if  he  is  driven  up,  runs  reeling,  with  his  hind 
legs  and  his  head  dropped  to  the  ground.  At  this  stage,  a 
fetid  diarrhea  sometimes  sets  in.  The  fatal  termination  is 
reached  in  one  to  three  days. 

2.   The  Form  of  Malignant  Sore  Throat, 

This  occurs  when  the  poison,  instead  of  expending  its  vio- 
lence on  the  cellular  tissues  underneath  the  sldn,  attacks  that 
beneath  the  lining  membrane  of  the  throat. 

The  general,  symptoms  at  the  commencement  are  the  same ; 
and  the  appearance  of  the  throat  has  that  same  deep  red, 
passing  into  dark  purple  hue,  which  we  have  just  noted  iu 
the  erysipelatous  variety.  But  the  obstruction  to  the  func- 
tions of  breathing  and  swallowing  naturally  produce  a  train 
of  characteristic  symptoms  not  seen  in  the  former  case. 
There  are  attempts  to  vomit,  difficulty  in  swallowing,  and 
labored  breathing  from  the  first,  the  sensation  of  choking 
being  so  distressing  that  the  animal  will  sit  on  its  haunches, 
like  a  dog,  gasping  for  breath,  opening  its  mouth  wide,  and 
protruding  a  livid  and  swollen  tongue.  Sometimes  the 
swelling  about  the  larynx  is  so  sudden  and  considerable  that 
the  animal  is  choked  to  death  in  less  than  an  hour,  and  before 
hardly  any  other  symptom  has  had  time  to  manifest  itself 
(oedema  of  the  larynx). 

Treatment. — When  we  turn  to  the  important  question  of 
treatment,  we  find  two  parties,  the  one  maintaining  that  no 
remedy  has  been  or  can  he  found  for  the  disease ;  the  other 
equally  positive  that  treatment  is  often  successful.  The 
former  are  the  scientific  men,  who  too  often  form  their  idea 
of  a  disease  from  a  theoretical  study  of  it  only ;  the  latter  are 
practical  men  of  moderate  education,  who  have  tried  this  or 
that  receipt  with  satisfaction  to  themselves,  but  lack  a  broad 
experience. 

AYe  fully  believe  that  very  many  cases  which  would  other- 


396  Diseases  of  Swine. 

wise  die  can  be  cured  by  medical  attention,  and  we  are  certain 
tbat  the  progress  of  the  contagion  can  very  often  be  checked 
in  a  herd  by  the  same  means. 

Let  us  suppose  that  what  we  have  described  as  the  predis- 
posing causes  have  been  carefully  removed,  and  we  turn  to 
look  for  an  agent  to  check  the  development  of  the  virus. 
There  are  two  such  which  present  themselves  with  very  large 
and  positive  testimony  to  their  value.  They  are  sulphate  of 
iron  (green  vitriol,  or  copperas)  and  chlorate  of  potash. 

The  sulphate  of  iron  is  at  once  the  cheapest  and  the  most 
effective  of  the  iron  salts  used  in  veterinary  medicine.  It  is 
antiseptic,  and  vitally  invigorating ;  and  it  has  been  proven 
to  have  a  specific  effect  in  increasing  the  firmness  of  the 
spleen  and  hastening  the  chemical  changes  of  the  blood. 

Without  any  knowledge  of  these  properties,  it  is  the  chief 
and  almost  only  important  agent  in  most  of  the  receipts 
which  have  been  found  actually  efficacious  in  the  disease  of 
hogs  which  we  are  describing.  Thus,  one  "  infallible  remedy,^' 
given  by  a  Kentucky  farmer,  is — 

No.  440.  Sulphate  of  iron,  1  lb. 

Warm  water,  3  gallons. 

Apply  milk-warm  to  the  skin  of  the  affected  animal,  by  repeated 
sponging  or  mopping. 

A  somewhat  celebrated  recipe  of  Prof.  J.  B.  Turner,  of 
Illinois,  is — 

No.  441.         Flowers  of  sulphur, 

Sulphate  of  iron, 

Madder,    ^  of  each,  2  lbs. 

Black  antimony, 

Nitrate  of  potash,     of  each,  |  lb. 

Arsenic,  2  oz. 

Mix  with  12  gallons  of  slop,  and  give  a  pint  to  each  hog,  this  quan- 
tity being  for  100  hogs. 

Another,  from  the  same  authority,  is — 


Qontagious  Pneumo-Enteritis,  397 

No.  442.  Common  salt,  4  lbs. 

Black  antimony, 

Flowers  of  sulphur, 

Sulphate  of  iron,  of  each,      1  lb. 

Wood  ashes,  unleached,  1  peck. 

Mix  thoroughly  together,  and  put  in  a  trough,  where  the  hogs  can  eat 
it  at  will. 

If  either  of  these  is  used  before  the  hog-  is  attacked. 
Prof.  Turner  says  it  will  positively  prevent  the  disease; 
and  given  freely  in  the  early  stages,  it  is  curative. 

Another  receipt,  praised  by  Illinois  farmers  of  large  ex- 
perience, and  differing  little  practically  from  the  above,  is  — 

No.  443.  Sulphate  of  iron,  2  lbs. 

Soft  soap,  2  gallons. 

Boil  with  several  gallons  of  water. 

This  is  to  be  added  to  slop  enough  for  fifty  hogs ;  and  as 
they  come  to  the  troughs  containing  it  about  two  pounds  of 
soda  should  be  added,  to  have  the  slop  foaming  as  they  drink 
it.  This  dose  should  be  repeated  every  three  or  four  days, 
for  three  times. 

The  second  remedy  is  the  chlorate  of  potash.  Prof.  Wil- 
liams says  of  the  use  of  this  in  charbon :  "A  large  ex- 
perience has  taught  me  that  the  chlorate  of  potash  is  superior 
to  all  other  medicines.^'  Unfortunately,  it  is  too  dear  for 
general-  use,  costing  at  wholesale  twenty-five  to  thirty  cents 
per  pound.     Yet  in  special  cases  it  may  be  used. 

No.  444.  Chlorate  of  potash,  1  to  2  drachms. 

"Water,  ^  pint. 

Give  in  milk  or  slop,  3  or  4  times  a  day. 

The  question  of  local  treatment  is  an  important  one.  It 
IG  recommended  to  foment  the  swollen  parts  with  hot  water 
saturated  with  sulphate  of  iron  at  the  outset.  If  gangrene 
has  come  on,  equal  parts  of  turpentine  and  sweet  oil  will 
have  some  chance  of  stimulating  the  surrounding  tissues.  In 
the  carbuncular  variety  free  incisions,  and  dressing  with  car- 
bolic acid   lotion,  and  cauterization  with  the  hot  iron,  are 


398  Diseases  of  Swine, 

spoken  of.  But  as  the  disease  is  a  general  one  of  the  blood, 
such  medicines  can  have  no  great  effect. 

If  the  pig  cannot  be  persuaded  to  drink,  it  is  not  worth 
while  to  attempt  to  drench  him  ;  rather,  he  should  be  killed 
and  buried  at  once,  as  a  hopeless  case  and  sure  to  spread  the 
infection. 

Much  has  been  said  in  favor  of  the  smart  weed.  Polygonum 
punctatumj  as  a  preventive  remedy.  It  is  given  freely,  in 
strong  decoction.  This  plant  has  long  been  familiar  to  phy- 
sicians, as  a  useful  remedy  in  sore  mouth,  salivation,  old 
ulcers,  etc.,  and  may  well  have  some  value  in  charbon. 

A  spoonful  of  turpentine,  every  few  days,  is  used  in 
"Western  New  York  as  a  preventive ;  and  the  free  employ- 
ment of  alkalies,  as  common  unleached  wood  ashes,  is,  no 
doubt,  of  advantage.  The  ashes  can  be  sprinkled  in  the  slop, 
or  corn  can  be  boiled  in  water  in  which  a  few  handfuls  have 
been  thrown.  Clean  wood  soot,  from  a  chimney,  or  finely 
powdered  charcoal  are  also  of  considerable  efficacy.  Any  of 
these  should  be  given  two  or  three  times  a  week,  to  hogs, 
when  this  form  of  "  cholera''  is  in  the  neighborhood. 

Professor  Law  advises  to  separate  a  hog  at  once  who  shows 
any  sign  of  sickness ;  and  if  the  symptoms  of  this  disease 
appear,  to  kill  and  bury  him  forthwith,  in  order  to  -prevent 
contagion.  If,  however,  it  is  a  valuable  animal,  and  it  is 
desired  to  treat  him  medically.  Prof.  Law  would  commence 
with  a  moderate  purge,  two  or  three  ounces  of  castor  oil,  or 
a  drachm  or  two  of  rhubarb.     As  soon  as  it  operates,  give — 

No.  445.  Nitrate  of  potash, 

Bisulphite  of  soda,  of  each  20  grains. 

Mix  for  a  dose,  twice  or  three  times  a  day. 

Charcoal  should  be  given  in  the  food  or  drink,  and  if  the 
bowels  become  tender  and  swollen,  twenty  drops  of  turpen- 
tine, from  time  to  time. 

M.   Roche  Lubin,  an   eminent  French  veterinarian,  to 


Forms  of  Hog  Cholera,  399 

whom  we  have  before  referred,  attributes  the  prevalence  of 
the  malady  to  faulty  sanitary  arrangements.  The  scourge 
will  disappear  when  pigs  are  well  cared  for,  placed  in  proper 
situations,  with  protection  from  the  sun  and  rain  when  they 
need  it,  well  ventilated  styes,  and  with  clean  bedding,  often 
renewed.  They  should  have  free  access  to  plenty  of  clean, 
fresh  water,  and  their  food  should  be  properly  regulated  in 
quantity,  and  wholesome  in  quality.  During  the  summer 
they  should  have  from  time  to  time,  say  once  a  week,  some 
salt  and  nitre  in  their  slop ;  and  both  bitter  and  acid  mixtures 
will  be  advantageous.  ^Yhen  an  animal  is  attacked,  M. 
Lubin  gives — 

No.  446.  Powdered  camphor,  10  grains. 

IS^itrate  of  potash,  1  drachm. 

Calomel,  5  grains. 

To  be  mixed  with  gruel,  or  given  in  a  boiled  potato,  three  times   a 
day.     After  the  first  daj  the  calomel  may  be  omitted. 

The  red  blotches  should  be  rubbed  with  vinegar,  and  the 
drink  soured  with  it. 

Major  John  S.  Mellon,  of  St.  Louis,  has  written  a  very 
sensible  little  treatise  on  this  form  of  hog  cholera.  He  thinks 
it  arises  either  from  contagion,  or  else  from  feeding  with  a 
too  exclusive  grain  diet.  His  rules  for  its  management  are 
judicious;  they  are  substantially  as  follows:  When  the 
disease  attacks  a  herd — 

1.  Separate  the  sick  from  the  well. 

2.  Give  both  a  free  range  in  a  woody  pasture,  if  possible. 

3.  Place  within  reach  of  both  pulverized  stone  coal,  or 
charcoal,  and  salt. 

4.  Give  them  free  access  to  plenty  of  water  and  clay,  to 
wallow  in. 

5.  Feed  both,  particularly  the  sick,  with  plenty  of  turnips; 
or,  if  these  are  not  to  be  had,  with  potatoes,  artichokes,  or 
any  other  roots  they  like.     Corn  should  be  withheld. 

He  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  every  hog  thus  treated,  and* 


400  Diseases  of  Swine. 

not  too  sick  to  eat  a  full  feed  of  turnips,  will  certainly  get 
well,  and  that  no  well  hog,  thus  treated,  and  fed  on  turnips, 
will  take  the  disease,  even  by  contagion. 

]Mr.  IVIellon  believes  that  a  too  highly  stimulating  diet  is 
the  chief  cause  of  the  presence  of  both  hog  cholera  and  Texas 
cattle  disease,  in  the  Mississippi  valley.  Hence,  acting  on 
this  principle,  he  claims  to  have  cured  the  latter  disease  also 
"very  promptly  and  certainly,  by  an  exclusively  watery 
diet,  the  best  and  most  certain  remedy  being  young  corn  in 
the  milk.  There  is  no  danger  of  excess.  The  diseased  herd 
may  be  safely  turned  into  a  field  of  young  corn,  and  left  to  cure 
themselves,  which  they  will  do  in  a  few  days/^  If  green 
corn  cannot  be  procured,  any  other  succulent  food  will 
answer  the  purpose. 

This  opinion  of  the  general  causation  of  these  diseases  is 
largely  correct,  and  deserves  the  attention  of  both  hog  and 
cattle  breeders  in  the  Mississippi  valley  and  elsewhere. 

MALIGNANT  EPIZOOTIC  CATARRH. 

This  disease,  which,  as  we  have  seen  (p.  351),  is  the 
most  fatal  of  all  among  sheep  in  this  country,  is  also  ex- 
tremely destructive  among  hogs.  For  example,  in  the  years 
1875  and  1876  it  swept  over  Missouri,  Illinois,  and  the 
neighboring  States,  killing  a  very  large  percentage  of  swine 
in  that  section,  and  attracting  general  attention  by  its  un- 
checked devastations. 

In  regard  to  its  causes,  they  are  to  be  divided,  as  in  all  of 
this  class  of  diseases,  into  those  which  render  the  animal 
susceptible  to  the  poison,  and  the  poison  itself.  Of  the  latter 
we  have  no  positive  knowledge.  It  is  believed  to  be  a  float- 
ing germ,  which  develops  and  multiplies  with  extreme 
rapidity  when  it  finds  a  soil  which  suits.  Such  a  soil  is 
presented  by  the  mucous  lining  membrane  of  hogs  which 
•have  been  kept  in  foul  styes,  and  whose  skins  are  dirty  and 


EpizootiG  Catarrh,  401 

unhealthy,  and  thus  incapable  of  performing  the  acts  of 
perspiration.  Also  in  those  where  the  perspiration  has  been 
suddenly  checked  by  exposure  to  showers,  sudden  changes  of 
temperature,  the  chill  night  air,  etc.  By  these  means  an 
excessive  labor  is  forced  on  the  inner  membranes,  and  they 
are  weakened  and  predisposed  to  disease. 

It  has  constantly  been  noticed  that  clean  hogs,  well 
washed,  well  housed,  and  well  fed,  hardly  ever  succumb  to 
this  disease,  or,  indeed,  contract  it  at  all. 

Symptoms, — As  explained  under  this  disease  in  sheep,  the 
symptoms  vary  with  the  j)art  of  the  mucous  membrane  most 
involved.     This  is  even  more  noticeable  in  the  hog:. 

The  first  form  is  where  the  membrane  which,  commencino* 
at  the  nostrils,  continues  to  the  windpipe  and  lungs,  is  the 
main  seat  of  disease.  Here  the  earliest  symptoms  are  a 
short,  hoarse  cough,  hoarseness  in  the  squeal,  and  a  difficulty 
of  breathing,  indicated  by  a  panting  motion  of  the  flanks, 
and  by  holding  the  head  in  a  peculiar,  stretched  and  some- 
what drooping  position.  There  is  often  some  running  from 
the  nose,  a  slow  gait,  tottering  or  stiff,  and  signs  of  fever. 
Many  make  efforts  to  vomit ;  generally  there  is  constipation, 
but  at  times  diarrhea. 

The  second  form  has  a  short  cough,  but  less  marked,  and 
there  is  less  oppression  in  breathmg.  .  There  is  more  decided 
weakness  or  palsy  in  the  hind  quarters,  and  the  gait  is  more 
tottering.  But  as  here  the  power  of  the  poison  is  spent  on 
the  lining  of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  there  is  at  first  cos- 
tiveness,  followed  by  a  profuse  and  fetid  diarrhea.  The  pain 
and  soreness  of  the  intestines  are  indicated  by  the  animal 
arching  its  back,  especially  the  loin  portion,  often  to  a  very 
hiorh  dc2:ree. 

Together  with  these  symptoms,  there  may  be  affection  of 
the  brain,  indicated  by  partial  or  entire  blindness,  a  stagger- 
ing gait  and  aimless  movements ;    or  a  sympathy  of  the 

26 


402  Diseases  of  Swine. 

lymphatic  system,  shown  by  enlarged  glands  and  scrofulous 
ulcerations  in  different  parts  of  the  body. 

The  duration  of  the  disease  is  from  fi  vq  to  fifteen  days.  In 
examining  the  dead  body  the  lining  membranes  of  the  nose 
and  upper  throat  are  always  inflamed  ;  from  them,  the  red- 
ness and  swelling  extend,  in  the  first  form,  down  the  wind- 
pi23e  to  the  lungs,  which  are  generally  found  inflamed  and 
partially  solidified.  In  the  second  form,  the  lining  mem- 
branes of  the  intestines  are  generally  inflamed  and  de- 
generated ;  the  spleen  or  milt  is  nearly  always  enlarged,  dark 
and  soft;  and  the  liver  is  generally  diseased.  AYatery 
exudations  in  the  belly  and  chest  are  also  very  common. 

Treatment. — Dr.  H.  J.  Detmers,  of  Missouri,  who  has 
made  a  careful  study  of  this  disease,  expresses  the  opinion 
that  a  great  many  sick  animals  can  be  saved  by  proper 
medical  treatment. 

To  accomplish  this  desirable  result  they  must  be  separated 
from  the  herd,  and  provided  with  a  clean,  dry  and  well 
ventilated  resting  place,  where  they  can  have  pure  air,  clean 
water  and  good  food.  Each  animal  should  take,  as  early  in 
the  disease  as  practicable,  the  folloAving  emetic  : — 

Ko.  447.         Powdered  white  hellebore,  15  to  20  grams. 

Milk,  i  pint. 

Mix  for  a  full-grown  hog. 

Any  hog  not  desperately  sick  will  readily  take  this. 
When  this  has  acted,  and  a  couple  of  hours  have  elapsed/ 
give  two  or  three  grains  of  tartar  emetic,  if  the  disease  is 
principally  in  the  lungs ;  or  the  same  amount  of  calomel,  if 
it  is  in  the  bowels  ;  administering  the  medicine  on  a  piece  of 
boiled  potato.  This  should  be  repeated  two  or  three  times  a 
day,  for  several  days,  or  until  a  change  for  the  better  is  wit- 
nessed. 

Externally,  the  lungs,  in  the  one  form,  and  the  abdomen,  in 


Epizootic  Catarrh,  403 

the  other,  is  to  be  rubbed  with  the  following  blistering  oint- 
ment, as  soon  as  the  feverish  symptoms  abate  : — 

iNo.  448.  Powdered  cantharides,  1  oz. 

Olive  oil,  4  oz. 

Heat  over  a  moderate  fire,  for  half  an  hour. 

If  the  first  application  fails  to  produce  a  good  blister, 
apply  it  again  the  next  day. 

AYhen  convalescence  begins,  give  from  ten  to  twenty  grains 
of  the  sulphate  of  iron  every  day  for  a  few  days  ;  and  if  the 
lungs  have  been  much  affected,  add  to  the  dose  thirty  or 
forty  grains  of  carbonate  of  potash. 

Of  other  modes  of  treatment  than  those  spoken  of  above, 
that  recommended  by  Prof.  N.  S.  Townshend,  of  Ohio, 
should  be  mentioned.  This  careful  observer  recommends, 
when  the  attack  commences  with  copious  and  dark  dis- 
charges from  the  bowels,  to  give  at  once — • 

No.  449.  Podophvllin,  20  grains. 

Bicarbonate  of  soda,  2  drachms. 

In  a  boiled  potato,  or  in  milk. 

If  constipation  is  present,  he  would  give — • 

No.  450.         Castor  oil,  1  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  1  drachm. 

In  milk  or  gruel. 

He  believes  that  in  many  cases  the  function  of  the  liver  is 
suspended,  and  that  thus  the  blood  is  poisoned  by  the  reten- 
tion of  effete  matters.  These  active  purges  are  calculated  to 
excite  the  organ  into  activity. 

APOPLEXY  AND  STAGGERS. 

The  hog,  especially  when  phlethoric  and  well  fed,  is  liable 
to  congestion  of  the  brain,  which  may  pass  into  actual  effusion 
or  apoplexy. 

In  congestion  only,  which  is  popularly  termed  "staggers," 
the  animal  is  dull  and  stupid,  the  eyes  are  red,  the  bowels 


•  I- 


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»  .-..-  ^z-  '-..1 


»•<.'        '.•**>•»        r«»        .    .»- 


•,'rAi»r   »vwv  :^  y 


.n,     -u.     *««e. 


404  Diseases  of  Swine, 

constipated  and  the  pulse  hard  and  quick.  These  symptoms 
may  pass  oif,  or  may  increase,  leading  to  a  period  of  excite- 
ment from  increased  pressure  on  the  brain.  The  animal  runs 
to  and  fro,  often  in  a  circle,  hitting  against  objects,  as  if 
blind ;  the  breathing  is  laborious,  and  he  may  fall  down  in  an 
unconscious  condition. 

In  other  cases,  the  effusion  on  the  brain,  or  the  apoplectic 
stroke,  takes  place  without  these  premonitory  symptoms. 
The  hog  suddenly  drops,  as  if  struck  on  the  head  with  a 
hammer,  the  limbs  stiffen,  the  breathing  is  hard  and  snorting, 
and  a  froth  exudes  from  the  mouth. 

In  either  case  the  treatment  is  by  promptly  dashing  cold 
water  over  the  animal,  and  especially  pouring  it  from  a  height 
of  eight  or  ten  feet  on  the  head.  The  bowels  should  be 
stimulated  by  an  active  purgative  injection,  as — 


S'o.  451.          Sulphate  of  magnesia, 
Oil  of  turpentine, 
Soap  suds. 

4  oz. 

2  drachms. 

J  pint. 

\Iix,  for  an  injection. 

Bleeding  may  be  performed  from  the  ear,  or  from  the 
jugular,  if  it  can  be  reached.  But  it  is  of  no  great  benefit; 
and  cutting  a  slit  to  the  skull,  and  rubbing  the  wound  with 
salt,  as  well  as  liniments,  blisters,  etc.,  are  all  of  no  use 
whatever.  The  cold  douche  and  the  active  injection  are  the 
remedies. 

COUGHS,   COLLS,  QUINSY,   AND  INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  LUNGS. 

These  associated  diseases  of  the  breathing  organs  are  as 
common  in  the  pig  as  in  other  domestic  animals. 

For  snuffles,  or  catarrh  in  the  head,  little  is  needed  but 
stabling  in  a  clean,  dry  pen,  and  cleanliness.  There  is, 
however,  a  chronic  form  of  nasal  gleet,  called  in  some  parts 
of  the  country  ^'  blue  nose,"  which  is  said  to  be  incurable, 
contagious,  and  very  similar  to  glanders  in  the  horse.     "We 


SweUing  of  the  Spleen.  407 

AGUE  CAKE— MILT  SWELLING— SPLENITIS. 

Like  cattle,  hogs  which  live  in  swampy,  malarious  dis- 
tricts are  quite  liable  to  an  enlargement  of  the  spleen  or 
milt,  and  a  failure  to  fatten,  in  consequence  of  it.  It  is 
also  believed  to  be  brought  on  at  times  by  over-feeding,  with 
little  or  no  exercise,  as  in  the  case  of  "show''  pigs.  In 
France  this  disease  is  called  ^Ha  ratille/'  and  has  received 
considerable  attention,  as  it  so  often  interferes  with  the  fat- 
tening of  hogs  for  market.  In  itself,  it  is  not  often,  or  at 
all,  productive  of  fatal  consequences. 

Symptoms. — There  is  a  perceptible  loss  of  condition;  the 
pig  eats,  but  his  food  "does  him  no  good,''  as  the  breeders 
say ;  his  appetite  is  rather  capricious  and  irregular ;  he  is 
dull  and  languid.  When  further  advanced,  he  is  noticed  to 
lie  nearly  or  quite  always  on  one  side,  and  in  walking  leans 
toward  one  side,  sometimes  cringing  and  bending  over,  as  if 
the  erect  position  gave  internal  pain. 

Treatment. — This  should  begin  with  a  brisk  purge. 
Twenty  grains  of  podophyllin,  or  ten  of  jalap  and  ten  of 
calomel,  may  be  enclosed  in  a  boiled  potato,  and  given 
fasting.  The  diet  should  be  lowered,  and  when  possible  the 
animal  put  to  graze  on  a  dry  upland.  The  French 
veterinarians  praise  highly,  especially  in  cases  where  this 
complaint  comes  on  while  fattening,  and  interferes  with  that 
process,  the  following  : — 

Ko.  454.  Wormwood  leaves, 

Liverwort         "        of  each,  ^  lb. 

Boil  slowly  in  a  gallon  of  soft  water,  for  half  an  hour. 

This  may  be  given  in  slop,  in  doses  of  half  a  pint  to  a 
pint  daily.  The  liverwort  is  the  Hepatica  trilohctj  and  is 
found  in  most  j^arts  of  this  country. 

In  preparing  to  fatten  after  an  attack,  it  must  be  done 


408  Diseases  of  Swine. 

gradually ;  and  tlie  special  advice  is  given  to  feed  at  regular 
intervals,  and  always  remove  whatever  food  is  left  from  each 
meal. 

LEPROSY. 

Under  this  name  the  French  and  English  veterinarians 
have  described  a  disease  to  which  hogs  are  subject,  especially 
in  very  hot  seasons.  Its  tendency  is  fatal,  and  it  is  believed 
to  be  contagious.  Owing  to  the  absurd  habit  in  this  country 
of  calling  all  epidemics  among  hogs  by  the  name  of 
"cholera,"  and  the  very  superficial  way  in  which  the 
maladies  of  the  animal  have  been  studied,  we  cannot  posi- 
tively say  whether  this  so-called  leprosy  has  a  foothold  in  the 
United  States  or  not,  but  some  descriptions  have  led  us  to 
think  that  it  has. 

Causes. — These  are  want  of  cleanliness,  absence  of  fresh 
air  and  clean  water,  foul  feeding,  and  general  neglect  of  the 
animal's  health ;  a  second  cause  is  contagion  from  those 
already  suifering. 

Symptoms. — According  to  a  learned  French  veterinarian, 
M.  Dupray  D'  Emportes,  one  of  the  very  earliest  symptoms 
of  this  complaint  is  the  formation  of  a  small  tumor  or 
blister,  like  a  stye,  on  the  edge  of  the  eye.  Other  such  l^listers 
appear  soon,  around  the  mouth,  in  the  throat,  under  the  jaws, 
and  finally  over  the  whole  body.  Great  prostration  ac- 
companies the  disease ;  the  head  is  held  down ;  the  whole 
frame  inclines  toward  the  ground ;  the  animal  moves  un- 
willingly, and  with  pain  ;  food  is  refused,  and  loss  of  flesh 
is  rapid.     Death  follows,  from  emaciation  and  exhaustion. 

Any  reader  at  all  versed  in  medicine  will  see  that  these 
are  not  the  symptoms  of  leprosy,  but  rather  of  some  form  of 
malignant  pemphigus.  But  its  exact  determination  we  leave 
to  those  who  have  opportunities  to  observe  it. 


PARASITES   OF  ANIMALS, 


Trichina,  409 

Treatment. — The  treatment  recommended  is,  to  place  the 
animal  in  a  cool,  clean,  well  ventilated  stye,  with  plenty  of 
fresh  Avater  for  him  to  drink  and  bathe  in.     For  a  medicine, 

No.  454.  Flour  of  sulphur.  ^  oz. 

•Nitrate  of  potash,  1  drachm. 

Give  in  a  bran  mash,  twice  a  day. 

His  skin  should  be  cleaned  with  soap  and  water,  and  the 
sores  dressed  with  tar  ointment. 

TRICHIirOSIS. 

The  Trichina  spiralis  is  a  minute  parasite  that  infests  the 
flesh  of  several  animals,  especially  the  hog ;  and  as  it  is  very 
tenacious  of  life,  it  is,  from  eating  pork,  occasionally  trans- 
ferred to  man,  in  whom  it  produces  serious  and  sometimes 
fatal  illness. 

The  trichina  is  said  to  be  not  uncommon  in  American 
pork,  and  in  several  European  markets  our  exportations  of 
this  staple  have  met  with  less  favor  on  this  account;  but  the 
facts  are  that  German  pork  is  quite  as  much  infected  as  our 
own. 

The  trichina  is  believed  to  inhabit  the  body  of  animals  at 
all  stages  of  its  existence ;  and  hence  swine  fed  exclusively 
on  vegetable  diet  are  not  liable  to  them ;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  those  permitted  to  eat  the  offal  from  slaughter  houses, 
carron,  rats,  mice  and  decaying  animal  matter  generally,  are 
usually  more  or  less  infected  with  trichina,  and  form  a  dan- 
gerous article  of  food  for  the  table. 

The  trichina  is  exceedingly  small,  about  the  twelfth  or 
fifteenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  in  its  miniature  state  lives 
in  minute  cysts  in  the  muscles.  They  increase  with  amazing 
rapidity,  several  hundred  thousand  congregating  in  an  ounce 
of  flesh ;  and  when  thus  numerous,  they  give  rise  in  man  to 
symptoms  closely  resembling  those  of  typhoid  fever.  The 
mature  worm  escapes  into  the  intestine,  where  they  pair,  tlw» 


410  Diseases  of  Swine, 

female  bringing  forth  a  numerous  brood  of  larvae,  who  find 
their  way  to  the  muscles. 

The  hog  does  not  appear  to  suffer  from  the  trichina ;  and 
its  presence  in  his  body  can  therefore  only  be  ascertained  by 
a  microscopic  examination  of  the  flesh. 

No  remedy  has  been  discovered  capable  of  destroying 
trichinse,  when  once  encysted  in  the  muscles.  The  free 
administration  of  ergot  has  the  most  to  be  said  in  its  favor. 
But  as  the  trichinae  are  effectually  killed  by  thorough  cook- 
ing, it  is  a  prudent  precaution  to  insist  that  pork,  in  all  its 
forms,  when  served  for  food,  should  be  thoroughly  well  done, 

HYDATIDS  OF  THE  KIDNEYS— KIDNEY  WOKMS— LAUD  WORMS. 

The  kidneys  of  hogs,  and  the  fat  which  surrounds  them, 
are  liable  to  become  the  home  of  various  parasites. 

One  of  the  most  frequent  of  these  is  the  lard-worm, 
Stephanurus  dentatus,  which  is  an  inch  or  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  length,  and  inhabits  by  preference  the  fat  about  the  sj)are 
ribs,  but  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  body  of  swine.  It  is, 
however,  more  a  curiosity  than  a  subject  for  medical  treat- 
ment, as  it  is  not  known  that  it  causes  any  serious  symptoms 
in  the  animal. 

The  kidney  itself  has  been  known  to  be  inhabited  by  a 
larger  worm,  of  similar  appearance,  called  the  Eiistrongylus 
gigas.  It  is  not  found  in  the  sul)stauce  of  the  kidney 
itself,  but  in  the  pelvis  or  hollow  curved  portion  in 
which  the  secretion  of  urine  takes  place.  Various  symptoms 
are  popularly  attributed  to  "kidney  worms,"  especially  a 
weakness  or  partial  palsy  of  the  hinder  limbs,  inclination  to 
lie  down,  and  awkwardness  in  the  gait.  The  cure  is  said  to 
be  to  pour  a  tablespoonful  of  turpentine  across  the  loins  or 
small  of  the  back  daily,  for  several  days.  It  is  quite  uncer- 
tain, however,  that  in  such  cases  there  is  any  worm  present, 


Kidney  Worms,  411 

AS  we  have  no  positive  symptoms  of  its  existence  in  the 
kidney. 

Of  a  much  more  serious  character  are  hydatids  or  bladder 
worms  in  the  kidneys.  These  differ  from  those  shortly  to  be 
described  as  causing  "  measly  '^  pork,  being  much  larger,  a?nd 
of  unknown  development.  A  number  of  cases  are  recorded 
by  Prof.  N.  S.  Townshend,  in  the  Annual  Reports  of  the 
Ohio  Agricultural  Society,  for  1875,  where  the  sudden  death 
of  hogs,  with  few  and  obscure  symptoms,  was  found  to  be 
owing  to  the  presence  of  these  parasites.  They  were  from 
one  to  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  kidney  and 
bladder  contained  blood.  If  it  were  possible  to  ascertain 
their  existence  in  the  kidney,  steady,  moderate  doses  of  tur- 
pentine would  be  the  most  promising  treatment.  Perhaps 
the  altered  character  of  the  urine  which  Prof.  Townshend 
notes,  would  have  led  a  closer  observer  than  the  farmer  who 
owned  the  pigs  to  a  suspicion  of  the  nature  of  the  complaint. 

MEASLES. 

The  name  "measles''  has  been  given  to  a  parasitic  disease 
of  swine,  not  that  it  resembles  in  the  most  remote  degree  the 
familiar  malady  known  in  the  human  species  by  that  name, 
but  because  the  flesh  of  hogs  so  affected  bears  a  fancied 
resemblance  to  the  human  skin  with  the  eruption  of  measles 
on  it. 

This  aj)pearance  of  pork  is  owing  to  the  presence  of  num- 
erous small  cysts,  about  the  size  of  a  grain  of  barley,  scattered 
through  the  muscular  and  other  tissues.  These  cysts,  when 
closely  examined,  are  found  to  contain  a  small  worm,  called 
the  bladder  worm,  folded  up  in  a  coil,  and  composed  of 
numerous  segments,  each  of  which  segments  is,  in  fact,  an 
independent  individual.  What  is  more  remarkable  is  that 
the  minute  worm  is  nothing  else  than  the  miniature  form  of 
that  redoubtable  occasional  inhabitant  of  the  human  intes- 


412  l)iseases  of  Swine, 

tines,  the  tapeworm.  When  measly  pork  is  eaten,  not 
sufficiently  cooked  to  destroy  these  parasites,  one  or  more  of 
them  develops  in  the  human  bowels  into  a  row  of  creatures, 
commonly  believed  to  be  one  worm,  often  ten,  twenty  or 
thirty  feet  in  length. 

The  cysts  do  not  seem  materially  to  injure  the  hog  during 
life,  though  their  presence  can  occasionally  be  detected  by 
examining  the  lining  membrane  of  the  eye,  or  that  under  the 
tongue.  In  most  if  not  all  cases  the  animal  swallow^s  the 
eggs,  w^hich  develop  into  cysts,  by  feeding  on  human  excre- 
ment, or  on  pastures  where  this  excrement  has  been  used  for 
manure.  As  this  is  the  evident  means  of  the  propagation 
of  the  parasite,  the  preventive  measures  demanded  are  self- 
evident. 

The  symptoms  which  are  attributed  to  measles  are  a 
cough,  discharge  from  the  nose,  running  from  the  eyes, 
weakness  of  the  hind  legs,  and  general  debility.  On  the 
skin  there  Avill  be  found  a  number  of  small  watery  pustules 
of  a  reddish  color.  The  treatment  recommended  is  to  give 
small  doses  of  sulphur  and  saltpetre,  daily  for  several  weeks 
together  with  a  liberal  supply  of  wholesome,  nutritious,  and 
easily-digested  food. 

THE  MANGE,  ITCH,  OR  SCAB. 

In  spite  of  their  generally  filthy  habits,  this  is  a  less 
serious  disease  in  pigs  than  in  sheep  (see  i^age  383).  True 
mange  in  them  is  caused  by  the  presence  of  the  Sarcoptes 
suis.  It  is  transmissible  to  man,  and  for  that  reason,  as  well 
as  for  the  annoyance  it  gives  the  hog,  it  should  be  removed 
without  delay. 

This  can  be  successfully  accomplished  by  first  soaping  the 
animal  well  with  soft  soap,  and  after  this  has  been  on  an 
hour  or  so,  washing  it  off  with  warm  water.  After  he  has 
dried,  one  of  the  following  ointments  should  be  rubbed  in ;— 


Treatment  of  Ilange.  413 

Ko.  455.         Flowers  of  sulphur,  4  oz. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  1  oz. 

Lard,  8  oz. 
Mix  thoroughly. 

Or: 

No.  456.  «      Powdered  stavesacre,  2  oz, 

Olive  oil,  1  oz, 

Lard,  ^  8  o^ 

Mix  together. 

Or  the  following  wash  : — 

No.  457.         Flowers  of  sulphur,  2  Iba 

Quick  lime,  1  lb. 

Water,  2  gallons. 

Boil  together,  stirring  continually,  until  the  ingredient?  arti  com- 
bined. 

Mr.  H.  D.  Richardson,  in  his  treatise  on  Dome^itic  Pigs, 
says  he  has  never  known  any  case  of  mange,  however 
obstinate,  that  would  not  yield  to  the  following  treatment : 
He  washes  the  animal  with  soft  soaj*  and  warm  water,  dries 
it,  and  then  applies  this  ointment  ;— 

No  458.       Train  oil  1  pint 

Oil  of  tar 

Oil  of  turpentine,  of  each  2  drachms. 

Petroleum  1  drachm. 

Mix  with  sufficient  flour  of  sulphtir  to  tnake  a  thick  paste. 

Eub  the  animal  with  this  mixture  and  let  it  remain  on , 

his  skin  for  three  days.     On  the  fourth  day  wash  it  off  with 

strong  soap  suds  or  soda  water,  dry  him  and  change  his  bedding. 

Internally,  let  him  have  in  his  food,  for  a  fortnight  from 

the  time  the  treatment  commences,  the  following  powder : — 

No  459.        Flour  of  sulphur  ^  oz. 

Nitrate  of  potash  1  drachm. 

Mix  for  a  powder.  * 

LICE. 

These  disgusting  parasites  abound  on  ill-fed  and  half- 
sick  hogs.  Indeed,  their  presence  may  almost  be  said  to  be 
a  sign  that  the  animal  is  out  of  condition.     It  is  not  suffi- 


414  Diseases  of  Svnne, 

cient,  therefore,  to  destroy  them  with  an  insecticide ;  if  the 
ciu^e  is  ex2)ected  to  be  permanent,  the  animal  must  be  kept 
clean,  well  fed,  and  supported  with  tonics,  such  as  sulphate 
of  iron,  if  occasion  demand  it. 

As  a  safe  and  efficient  ointment  to  kill  lice  we  may  use 
scotch  snuff,  rubbed  up  with  lard ;  or  the  following : 

Ko.  460.       Stavesacre  seeds        '  4  oz. 

White  hellebore  1  oz.* 

Water  1  gallon. 

Boil  to  two  quarts,  and  apply  with  a  brush  where  lice  are  seen. 

Kerosene  is  also   very  destructive  to  lice,  and  may   be 
freely  sponged  over  the  animal. 


iki  .4 


General  RemarJcs,  415 

CHAPTER  yil. 

DISEASES   OF   DOGS. 

General  Eemarhs  on  Diseases  of  Dogs  and  their  Treatment, 

Colic. 

Costiveness, 

Diarrhoea  and  Dysentery, 

Distemper, 

Mange, 

Canker  in  the  Ear, 

Inflammation  of  the  EyeSj, 

Fleas  and  Lice, 

GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  DISEASES  OF  DOGS  AND 
THEIR  TREATMENT. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that  medicines  act  on  dogs 
as  they  do  on  men.  For  example,  aloes  and  rhubarb  do  not 
purge  dogs,  while  castor  oil  and  Epsom  salts  act  on  them 
violently.  Common  salt  is  almost  a  poison  to  them,  and 
they  are  very  easily  salivated  with  mercury.  Emetics  and 
bleeding,  which,  with  purges,  were  about  the  whole  plan  of 
treatment  of  the  older  writers,  such  as  Youatt  and  Blaine, 
are  now  almost  entirely  discarded. 

Dogs  do  not  willingly  take  medicine,  and  as  they  are 
irritable  when  sick,  one  must  know  how  to  manage  them 
without  risk.  With  a  moderate-sized  animal  this  is  not 
difficult.  Take  a  seat  on  a  low  stool  or  a  bucket.  Set  the* 
dog  down  on  his  haunches,  between  your  legs,  holding  him 
up  with  your  knees.  Tie  a  cloth  around  his  neck;  this, 
falling  over  his  forepaws,  is  pressed  against  his  ribs  by  your 
knees,  and  prevents  him  using  his  forelegs.  With  the  finger 
and  thumb  of  one  hand  force  open  his  jaws,  lifting  his  head 


416  Diseases  of  Dogs. 

at  the  same  time  with  the  same  hand.  If  you  want  to  give 
a  pill,  take  it  in  the  other  hand,  pass  it  over  the  root  of  the 
tongue,  and  give  it  a  push  downward.  Close  the  mouth, 
still  holding  up  the  head,  until  you  see  he  has  swallowed  it. 
If  it  is  a  draught,  give  a  mouthful,  close  the  mouth,  hold  up 
the  head,  and  stop  the  nose,  till  he  swallows.  Repeat  this, 
until  the  whole  is  taken.  If  the  dog  is  very  large,  an 
assistant  is  needed. 

A  sick  dog  should  not  be  left  with  those  which  are  well, 
but  immediately  removed  to  a  quiet,  dry,  warm  spot,  by 
himself. 

Fluids  are  more  easily  given  to  dogs  than  solids,  but  the 
fineness  of  their  senses  makes  them  strongly  object  to  any 
drug  which  has  much  taste  or  smell. 

We  shall  confine  our  attention  to  the  common  and  easily 
recognized  diseases  of  dogs,  and  to  those  for  which  we  can 
recommend  positive  means  of  cure.  There  is  no  cure  what- 
ever for  consumption,  rheumatism,  rabies  or  hydrophobia, 
and  other  diseases  which  take  up  space  in  some  treatises. 

COLIC. 

Causes. — Young  dogs  are  particularly  liable  to  attacks 
of  colic  or  belly-ache,  and  suffer  acutely  from  it.  Unless 
relieved,  inflammation  of  the  bowels  may  ensue,  and  the 
animal  be  lost.  It  generally  arises  from  an  improper  diet, 
or  exposure  to  cold  and  wet.  When  it  comes  on  during 
pupping,  the  bitch  generally  perishes. 

Symptoms. — The  animal  is  restless,  moans  in  his  sleep, 
which  is  broken,  yelps  without  visible  cause,  has  little  or  no 
appetite,  and  draws  up  his  body.  The  voice  remains  natural 
until  inflammation  sets  in,  when  it  becomes  short,  harsh, 
high  and  broken,  with  a  series  of  brief,  disconnected  cries. 


Costiveness.  417 

Treatment, — Colic  is  of  three  kinds,  either  cramp  colicy 
without  costiveness ;  icind  colic,  with,  costiveness ;  or  inflam- 
matory colic,  which  is  accompanied  by  inflammation  of  the 
bowels. 

When  there  is  colic  with  costiveness,  the  latter  should 
receive  attention  first,  in  the  manner  described  under  that 
disease.  Simple  wind  colic  may  be  relieved  by  giving  about 
twenty  drops  of  laudanum  in  some  warm  milk,  and  rubbing 
the  belly  with  a  mixture  of  mustard  and  spirits  of  camphor. 
This  should  be  followed  by  a  simple  purge,  as  recommended 
under  Costiveness.  Or  an  injection  of  the  ether  and  lauda- 
num mixture,  mentioned  under  Diarrhoea,  will  also  usually 
cut  the  disease  short. 

Inflammatory  colic  is  a  serious  disease.  It  may  be  recog- 
nized by  the  dog  being  weak,  by  great  tenderness  of  the 
bowels  on  pressure  with  the  hand,  which  is  not  the  case  with 
either  of  the  above  mentioned  varieties,  by  his  desire  to  lap 
cold  water,  by  the  constant  efforts  of  vomiting,  and  the  hot 
and  dry  nose.  Sometimes  purging  is  present  and  straining. 
The  safest  treatment  here  is  by  placing  a  large  mustard 
plaster  around  the  belly,  and  giving  the  following  pills : — 

Take  Powdered  opium, 

Calomel,  of  each,  4  grains. 

Make  into  eight  pills,  and  give  one  four  times  a  day. 

The  injections  of  ether  and  laudanum  may  also  be  used 
when  the  purging  is  severe. 

COSTIVENESS. 

Causes. — Too  rich  food,  lack  of  exercise,  and  neglect  of 
proper  care,  are  the  causes  usually  assigned  to  this  disease. 
But  it  is  of  common  occurrence  where  no  particular  reason 
can  be  assigned  for  it.  The  pain  it  produces  in  the  animal 
is  exceedingly  severe,  and  its  source  is  readily  perceived  from 
his  ineffectual  efforts  at  straining  at  stool. 

27 


418  Diseases  of  Dogs, 

Treatment. — A  copious  injection  should  immediately  be 
given.  One  of  soft  soap  and  warm  water,  in  wliich  half  a 
teaspoonfiil  of  spirits  of  turpentine  has  been  put,  will  be 
most  effective.  If  this  does  not  answer,  the  finger,  well 
oiled,  must  be  inserted  into  the  bowel,  when  a  hard  mass 
will  be  felt,  which  must  be  removed  with  the  finger  or  the 
handle  of  a  spoon,  bit  by  bit.  When  this  obstruction  is 
overcome,  a  purgative  should  be  given.  This  may  be  the 
following : — 

Take  Castor  oil, 

Olive  oil,  equal  parts. 

Dose,  from  a  teaspoonful  to  a  tablespoonM,  according  to  the  size 
of  the  dog. 

Or,  if  it  is  preferred  to  use  pills,  which  have  the  advantage 
of  being  administered  with  less  trouble  to  most  dogs,  the 
following  prescription  will  be  found  a  good  one  in  all 
cases : — 

Take  Extract  of  colocynth,  10  grains. 

Powder  of  colchicum,  6  grains. 

Blue  mass,  5  grains. 

For  one  pill  for  a  dog  of  average  size. 

When  this  has  freely  acted,  which  will  be  at  the  end  of 
twelve  or  fifteen  hours,  the  dog  will  have  recovered  from  his 
attack.  His  diet  should  then  be  changed,  and  he  should  be 
given  plenty  of  exercise. 

DIARRH(EA  AND  DYSENTERY. 

Causes.— Writers  generally  attribute  these  closely  allied 
diseases  to  improper  food  and  cold.  Pups  and  old  dogs, 
which  are  fat  and  take  little  exercise,  are  most  subject  to 
them,  the  old  ones  having  the  chronic  form  of  the  disease, 
young  dogs  the  more  acute  varieties. 

Symptoms. — The  most  obvious  is  the  purging.  There 
are  also  usually  sick  stomach  and  thirst.  The  dog  is  weak 
and  dejected,  and  seeks  to  be  alone.     The  breath  is  offensive 


Diarrhoea  and  Dysentery.  419 

and  the  faeces  have  a  foul,  sickly  odor,  and  are  fluid  in  char- 
acter, instead  of  solid,  as  in  health.  AVhen  they  are  mixed 
with  blood  and  scanty,  the  case  may  be  considered  one  of 
dysentery. 

Treatment. — In  either  variety,  the  treatment  should 
begin  with  injections,  of  which,  one  of  the  best  is  as  fol- 
lows : — 

Take  Laudanum,  4  tablespoonfuls. 

Ether,  1  teaspoonful. 

Gruel,  1  pint. 

Shake  them  -well  together,  and  use  from  one  to  four  tablespoonfuls 
as  an  injection. 

This  same  mixture  may  be  given  by  the  mouth  in  the  same 
doses,  and  will  have  excellent  effect.  It  is  known  as  ^^  May- 
hew's  ether  and  laudanum  mixture,"  and  is  of  great  value 
in  almost  all  affections  of  the  stomach  and  bowels  in  dogs. 

As  a  powder  for  diarrhoea  in  dogs,  the  following  is 
efficient : — 

Take  Powdered  catechu, 

Powdered  ginger, 

Prepared  chalk,  of  each,  5  grains. 

For  one  dose  for  a  medium- sized  dog. 

This  may  be  mixed  with  a  little  soft  food,  or  made  into  a 
pill.  One  such  dose  three  or  four  times  a  day  will  gener- 
ally check  the  purging.  It  is  particularly  useful  in  the 
chronic  diarrhoea  of  old  dogs,  when  about  two  pills  should 
be  given  daily  for  a  week  or  two. 

When  there  is  a  great  deal  of  irritation  about  the  anus, 
the  following  ointment  should  be  used : — 

Take  Powdered  camphor,  2  drachms. 

Mercurial  ointment,  1  drachm. 

Belladonna  ointment,  1  oz. 
Mix  well  together,  and  apply  with  the  finger. 

This  is  also  excellent  for  pfe  and  all  kinds  of  irritation 
of  the  anus  in  dogs.  It  is  an  improvement  on  Mr.  Mayhew^s 
ointment,  which  he  so  highly  commends  for  the  same  purposes. 


420  Diseases  of  Dogs, 

DISTEMPER. 

Causes. — This  is  the  most  common  of  the  dangerous 
diseases  of  the  canine  species.  It  is  usually  believed  to  be 
contagious,  and  to  be  induced  also  by  cold  and  wet,  sudden 
changes  of  temperature,  and  the  irritation  of  the  later  period 
of  teething,  when  the  permanent  tusks  are  about  half-grown 
and  the  temporary  ones  are  still  retained.  Confinement, 
with  too  little  exercise,  and  a  meat  diet,  also  incline  to 
produce  it,  or  at  least  to  render  cases  more  severe. 

Symptoms. — Dullness  and  loss  of  appetite,  purging  and 
vomiting,  are  early  signs.  The  eyes  are  red  and  watery,  and 
there  is  a  short  cough.  The  eyelids  are  red,  the  animal  is 
languid  and  shivering,  and  the  pulse  quick,  110  to  120  beats 
in  the  minute.  Later  on,  a  mattery  discharge  flows  from 
the  eyes  and  nose,  the  cough  becomes  severe  and  frequent, 
the  coat  is  staring,  and  the  paws  and  nose  are  hot. 

Should  the  disease  grow  worse,  the  eyelids  become  glued 
together,  and  the  nostrils  choked  up  by  an  accumulated, 
thick  discharge,  the  body  rapidly  becomes  thinner,  there  is 
constant  shivering,  the  breath  is  very  offensive,  blood  ap- 
pears at  the  mouth  and  nose,  palsy,  beginning  at  the  hind 
legs,  creeps  over  the  body,  and  finally  the  animal  lies  on  its 
side,  unable  to  rise,  uttering  short,  sharp,  yelping  cries,  until 
death  relieves  it  from  its  sufferings. 

Sometimes  all  the  symptoms  disappear  for  two  or  three 
weeks,  and  the  dog  is  supposed  to  be  well ;  when,  suddenly, 
they  return  with  increased  violence,  and  it  dies  with  violent 
dysentery  or  in  a  fit.  This  deceptive  appearance  of  recovery 
can  be  detected  by  looking  at  the  eyes  and  weighing  the  dog. 
If  he  has  not  gained  in  weight,  and  the  eyelids  are  red,  he 
is  still  in  danger. 

Generally  speaking,  young  dogs  are  most  liable  to  the 
disease,  and  those  which  have  had  it  once  are  less  apt  to  take 


Distemper:  421 

it  a  second  time;   but  the   exceptions  to  this  are   rather 
numerous. 

Treatment. — Many  clogs  die  of  distemper;  but  if  the 
following  treatment  is  carefully  carried  out,  we  venture  to 
say  that  the  disease  will  lose  nearly  all  its  terrors. 

First,  put  the  dog  in  a  clean,  warm  and  dry  place,  and 
have  his  bed  changed  every  other  day.  Do  not  give  him 
meat,  but  only  boiled  rice  and  bread  and  milk  (cold),  or 
crackers  and  milk.  A  little  thin  broth  may  be  added.  This 
is  to  be  his  diet,  and  nothing  else.     For  a  drink,  piire  water. 

Next,  for  medicines,  it  is  well  to  begin  with  a  mild  purge, 
particularly  if  the  disease  is  seen  early.  Such  a  purge  is 
the  following,  very  suitable  for  dogs : — 

Take  Castor  oil,  4  parts. 

Olive  oil,  2  parts. 

Oil  of  aniseed,  enough  to  flavor. 

Some  powdered  sugar  may  be  mixed  with  this  to  make  it  palatable. 
A  teaspoonful  of  this  to  a  small  dog,  and  two  to  four  teaspoonfuls 
to  larger  ones,  are  proper  doses. 

When  this  has  acted  moderately,  the  following  pills  may 
be  given  : — 

Take  Extract  of  belladonna,  6  to  24  grains. 

Saltpetre,  1  to    4  scruples. 

Extract  of  gentian,  1  to    4  drachms. 

Have  the  druggist  make  this  into  24  pills,  choosing  the  lowest  amount 
named  for  a  small  animal,  and  increasing  with  its  size  ;  then  give 
one  of  the  pills  three  times  a  day. 

This  will  generally  break  up  the  disease  at  once  and  the 

symptoms  will  disappear.      But,  as  we  have  said,  they  have 

a  tendency  to  return,  and  to  prevent  this,  some  good  tonic 

must  be  used.     Of  these,  the  best  are  either  '^  quinine  and 

iron,"  or  "  arsenic."   A  good  receipt  for  the  former  is  this : — 

Take  Quinine,  1  to  4  scruples. 

Sulphate  of  iron,  1  to  4  scruples. 

Extract  of  gentian,  2  to  8  drachms. 

Make  into  twenty  pills,  and  give  one  three  times  a  day. 

The  most  convenient  way  to  give  arsenic  is  in  what  is  sold 


422  Diseases  of  Dogs. 

at  all  drug  stores  under  the  name  of  "  Fowler's  solution." 
The  dose  for  a  dog  is  from  one  to  three  drops  three  times  a 
day.  As  it  is  tasteless,  it  can  easily  be  added  to  his  water  or 
milk.  One  or  the  other  of  these  tonics,  or  both  of  them,  or, 
what  is  better,  one  one  week,  and  the  other  the  next,  should 
be  continued  for  three  or  four  weeks.  During  all  this  time 
the  dog  should  have  very  little  or  no  meat,  and  he  should 
only  gradually  be  allowed  to  resume  this  sort  of  food. 

Such  is  the  simple  and  uniform  treatment  which  we  re- 
commend for  distemper;  and  if  it  is  begun  reasonably  early, 
before  the  case  is  too  far  gone,  and  patiently  carried  out,  we 
claim'  that  a  dog  will  scarcely  ever  be  lost.  Even  when  they 
have  been  seriously  paralyzed,  we  have  had  them  recover 
entirely.  The  palsy  leaves  with  returning  strength,  without 
special  medication.  We  add  that  exhausting  diarrhoea,  which 
sometimes  sets  in,  may  be  treated  as  stated  under  that  disease. 

MANGE. 

Causes. — Dirty  kennels,  improper  food,  which  means 
over-feeding  as  well  as  under-feeding,  and  especially  con- 
tagion from  other  dogs,  are  the  chief  causes  of  mange.  It 
has  several  varieties,  and  is  a  very  common  complaint. 

Symptoms. — The  dog  is  generally  out  of  condition  and 
languid.  The  hair  is  thin  and  ragged,  and  falls  off  in 
patches.  The  skin  looks  dry  and  scaly,  and  the  animal  is 
unusually  thirsty.  He  suffers  from  itching,  both  in  the 
parts  where  the  hair  has  fallen  and  elsewhere. 

Treatment. — It  is  well  to  begin  with  a  moderate  purge, 
as,  for  instance,  one  of  those  recommended  under  Costiveness, 
and  then  apply  an  ointment  to  the  whole  body,  rubbing  it 
well  in,  as : — 

Take  Tar,  1  quart. 

Flour  of  sulpliur,  half  a  pound. 

Mix  well  together,  and  rub  in  warm. 


CO 

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Canker  of  the  Ear,  423 

This  is  to  be  applied  one  day,  washed  oflf  the  next  with 
soft  soap  and  warm  water,  and  then  the  ointment  rubbed  in 
again,  and  so  on  until  three  applications  have  been  made  and 
w^ashed  off.  The  dog  should  then  be  well,  but  the  process 
must  be  repeated  if  the  itching  returns.  Another  useful 
mange  ointment  is — 

Take  Tanner's  oil  1  quart. 

Spirits  of  turpentine,  1  gill. 

Flour  of  sulphur,  half  pound. 
Mix  and  use  as  the  last. 

If  the  dog  is  in  poor  condition,  it  will  add  to  the  certainty 
of  this  treatment  if  he  is  given  two  or  three  drops  of  Fow- 
ler's solution  of  arsenic,  two  or  three  times  a  day,  for  a  week 
or  two.  This  has  a  specific  effect  on  the  hair  and  skin  of 
animals. 

CANKER  OF  THE  EAR. 

Causes. — Canker  generally  arises  from  some  local  injury 
to  the  ear,  by  hitting  it  against  an  object,  or  by  rubbing  it 
against  the  collar,  chain,  etc.  The  itching  leads  the  animal 
to  flap  the  ear  violently,  and  scratch  it  with  his  paw.  This 
aggravates  the  sore  until  it  becomes  intractable  and  malig- 
nant. An  ulcer  is  formed,  with  a  foul  odor,  and  may  extend 
into  the  ear  and  deeper  parts,  until  the  dog  has  to  be  killed 
as  a  last  resort. 

Treatment.— ^As  a  rule,  canker  is  certainly  and  easily 
cured,  even  when  it  has  progressed  to  a  considerable  extent. 
The  following  directions  must  be  strictly  carried  out.  Have 
a  light  cap  made  of  calico  or  merino,  covering  both  ears,  and 
fastened  under  the  chin,  so  that  the  dog  cannot  flap  or  scratch 
his  ears.  AYash  the  ulcers  on  the  flaps  clean  every  day,  with 
soap  and  warm  water,  and  after  the  washing,  apply  this  oint- 
ment : — 

Take  Mercurial  ointment,  1  drachm. 

Powdered  camphor,  2  drachms. 

Oxide  of  zinc  ointment,  1  oz. 

Mix  them  well. 


424  Diseases  of  Dogs. 

This  is  for  the  flap  of  the  ear.  But  the  real  seat  of  the 
disease  is  inside  the  ear,  and  for  that  we  must  use  the  fol- 
lowing canker  wash : — 

Take  Lead  water, 

Pure  soft  water,  equal  parts. 

Two  persons  will  be  required  to  apply  this  properly.  The 
one  must  hold  the  muzzle  of  the  dog  with  one  hand,  and 
have  the  root  of  the  ear  in  the  hollow  of  the  other,  and  be- 
tween the  first  finger  and  the  thumb.  The  other  must  then 
pour  the  liquid  into  the  ear;  half  a  teaspoonful  will  usually 
be  sufficient.  After  one  ear  is  done,  let  it  be  covered  closely 
with  the  flap,  and  the  other  side  of  the  head  turned  upward, 
without  releasing  the  dog.  This  is  to  be  repeated  three 
times  daily,  and  the  result  will  certainly  be  a  complete  cure. 
To  hasten  this,  however,  it  is  well  to  give  the  dog  very  little 
meat,  and  to  keep  him  on  a  vegetable  diet. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  EYES. 

Causes. — Dogs  are  quite  subject  to  inflamed  eyes,  from 
dust,  injury  and  sympathetic  affections. 

Treatment. — Search  should  be  made  for  any  foreign 
body  and  this  removed  if  present.  We  recommend  dogs  to 
be  chloroformed  for  this  operation.  When  the  inflammation 
is  a  symptom  of  some  other  disease,  it  is  best  to  let  it  alone, 
as  it  will  disappear  as  the  dog  recovers.  In  other  cases,  a 
square  of  old  linen  may  be  doubled  several  times  and  may 
be  wet  with  one  of  the  following  lotions,  with  which  the  eyes 
may  be  freely  bathed  : — 

Eye  Washes, 

Take  Laudanum,  20  drops. 

Camphor  water,  1  oz. 

Or, 

Take  Sugar  of  lead,  30  grains. 

Rain  water,  1  pint. 


Fleas  and  Lice.  425 

When  the  inflammation  has  subsided  by  the  use  of  these 

cooling  washes,  but  a  chronic  redness  and  soreness  remains,  the 

following  may  be  brushed  into  the  eye  with  a  soft  feather, 

or  camel's  hair  brush,  when  the  lids  are  separated  : — 

Take  Nitrate  of  silver,  1  grain. 

Rain  water,  1  oz. 

A  few  applications  of  this,  once  daily,  ought  to  effect  a 

cure. 

FLEAS  AND  LICE. 

For  these  vermin,  almost  sure  to  appear  on  dogs  at  some 
time,  Ave  recommend — 

SnufF,  1  teaspoonful. 

Whisky,  1  pint. 

For  bathing. 

Or  the  animal  may  be  rubbed  with  castor  oil,  or  kerosene 
oil,  and  washed  the  next  day.  Persian  insect  powder  scat- 
tered in  the  kennel,  or  flour  of  sulphur,  used  in  the  same 
manner,  will  keep  fleas  at  a  distance. 


426  Diseases  of  Fowls, 

CHAPTER  yill. 

DISEASES   OF   FOWLS. 

General  Remarks, 

Diarrhoea. 

Fowl  Cholera, 

The  Gapes. 

The  Roup. 

Leg  Weakness  and  Loss  of  Feathers. 

Chicken  Lice  and  Fleas. 

GENERAL  REMARKS. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  money  to  be  made  in  keeping 
poultry,  if  only  they  can  be  maintained  in  a  healthy  condi- 
tion. Indeed,  when  their  eggs,  their  feathers,  and  the  price 
of  their  flesh  for  food  are  all  taken  into  account,  they  pay 
better  for  outlay  and  attention  than  any  other  domestic 
animal.  In  this  we  do  not  refer  to  the  extravagant  prices 
which  fancy  breeds  and  their  eggs  bring  in  the  market,  but 
to  ordinary  varieties. 

The  drawback  to  all  this  is  their  peculiar  liability  to  dis- 
eases, which  carry  them  off  in  great  numbers.  But  we  are 
backed  by  the  opinion  of  the  best  veterinarians  in  this  and 
other  countries,  when  we  say  that  by  intelligent  attention 
these  diseases  can  be  pr evented j  and  this  mortality  checked. 

To  attain  this  result,  the  chief  points  are  cleanliness,  pure 
water,  the  frequent  use  of  disinfectants  (especially  the  sul- 
phuric acid  one,  to  be  mentioned  later),  isolation  of  sick 
fowls,  proper  food,  the  prompt  and  appropriate  treatment  of 
those  that  are  sick,  comfortable  housing,  and  a  judicious 
selection  of  breeds  to  suit  the  climate.  In  what  relates  to 
hygiene  and  the  treatment  of  the  sick,  we  shall  give  in  this 


Diarrhoea,  427 

chapter  the  kind  of  information  which  can  be  depended  upon 
as  the  result  of  practical  experience  guided  by  sound  science. 

DIARRH(EA. 

Causes. — Nearly  all  the  diseases  in  fowls  arise  either 
from  cold,  or  wet,  or  neglect  of  cleanliness,  or  from  improper 
food,  and  the  first  symptom  of  almost  all  their  diseases  is 
diavrhcea.  Hence,  it  is  especially  important  to  watch  for 
this  and  treat  it  promptly,  as  thus  many  serious  sicknesses 
may  be  checked.   At  this  stage  much  evil  may  be  warded  off. 

Treatment. — Whenever  a  fowl  hangs  its  wings,  and 
looks  drooping,  let  it  be  seen  at  once  whether  it  appears 
purged,  and  if  so,  give  immediately,  in  a  tablespoonful  of 
w^arm  water,  a  teaspoonful  of  strong  brandy  or  whisky  satu- 
rated with  camphor.  Eepeat  this  the  next  morning,  and,  in 
most  cases,  the  disease  will  be  checked;  care  being,  of'course, 
taken,  to  give  the  invalid  warmth  and  good  shelter.  The 
best  food  is  warm  barley  meal,  or  rice  meal  mixed  with  lime 
water.  If  these  measures  do  not  promptly  check  the  dis- 
charge, give  the  following  powder,  mixed  up  with  a  little 
meal : — 

Take      ,  Powdered  chalk,  5  grains. 

Cayenne  pepper,  2  grains. 

Powdered  rhubarb,  5  grains. 

This  scarcely  ever  fails  when  the  case  is  not  desperate. 

A  great  many  fowls  are  lost  when  young,  w^hich  could 
readily  be  saved  by  giving  them  some  simple  tonics,  and  thus 
a  good  deal  of  money  w^oiild  be  made  off  of  the  poultry, 
which  is  missed  through  the  prevailing  ignorance  on  this 
subject.  "\Ye  would,  therefore,  ask  attention  to  the  use  of  the 
above  tonic  mixture,  and  also  to  the  following  mode  of 
strengthening  the  constitutions  of  young  birds — those  of 
delicate  breeds  especially :  if  they  show  any  indications  of 


428  Diseases  of  Fowls, 

ailment,  give  sulphur  and  Cayenne  pepper,  in  the  ratio  of 
six  parts  of  sulphur  to  one-sixth  of  pepper,  mixed  with 
barley-meal. 

Tonic  compounds  are,  no  doubt,  in  many  cases  good  for 
all  sorts  of  poultry.  Cayenne  pepper  is  a  favorite  Ameri- 
can preventive  of  disease  in  young  turkeys.  It  is  mixed 
in  the  proportion  of  a  tablespoonful  to  a  quart  of  boiling 
water ;  bread  is  soaked  in  this,  and  given  in  case  of  chills, 
to  which  they  are  so  liable. 

FOWL  CHOLERA. 

An  enormous  loss  is  caused  every  year  in  the  United 
States  by  this  disease.  The  Reports  of  the  Commissioner  of 
Agriculture,  at  Washington,  say  that  it  prevails  in  half  the 
counties  heard  from,  and  the  money  lost  by  it  varies  from  a 
few  hundred  dollars  to  $200,000  in  each  county  every  year ! 
The  Commissioner  figures  out  the  total  annual  loss  as  cer- 
tainly more  than  ten  million  dollars ! 

Cause. — The  disease  originates  from  poisonous  germs, 
and  is  exceedingly  infectious.  These  germs  enter  the  system 
by  the  digestive  organs,  and  they  are  generally  taken  with 
the  food.  The  contagion  is  spread  by  means  of  the  excre- 
ment of  sick  fowls  or  the  flesh  or  other  parts  of  dead  ones. 
Frequently,  no  doubt,  it  is  carried  considerable  distances  by 
small  birds  which  are  also  subject  to  it. 

Symptoms, — The  disease  begins  with  a  diarrhoea,  soon 
becoming  bloody;  there  is  great  weakness,  and  the  eyes  are 
dull  and  watery.  The  feathers  droop,  the  plumage  is  rough, 
and  there  is  no  desire  for  food. 

Treatment. — Mere  medicines  are  of  no  great  value  in 
this  disease,  but  its  ravages  can  be  usually  checked  by  com- 
bining them  with  good  care  and  disinfection.     The  immedi- 


fWJY   f;j5 


Fowl  Cholera,  429 

ate  treatment  should  be  as  laid  down  for  diarrhoea;  but 
earnest  attention  must  be  given  to  put  the  surroundings  in 
healthy  condition. 

If  the  feeding  places  and  runs  are  kept  free  from  the 
germs,  there  is  no  d?'nger  of  the  fowls  ever  becoming 
affected.  Of  course  this  could  be  accomplished  by  a  daily 
sprinkling  with  a  disinfectant,  but  this  would  be  entirely  too 
expensive  a  method  to  be  practical,  even  in  large  poultry 
establishments.  The  most  that  we  can  expect  is  that  when 
cholera  is  in  a  section,  the  poultry  owners  will  watch  their 
fowls,  and,  in  case  of  sickness,  at  ouce  remove  the  affected 
birds  from  the  flock.  The  feeding  grounds  and  houses  should 
then  be  sprinkled  with  the  following 

Disinfectant  Mixture. 

Take  Sulphuric  acid,  8  ounces. 

Pure  soft  water,  8  gallons. 

Mix  them. 

If  this  is  done,  the  probability  is  that  no  more  deaths 
will  occur  until  the  contagion  is  again  introduced  from 
abroad. 

There  are  many  cases,  however,  in  which  the  runs  are 
thoroughly  infected,  and  remain  so  from  year  to  year. 
Under  such  circumstances,  the  poultry  houses  must  be 
carefully  cleaned  throughout,  and  the  w^oodwork  and 
floors  completely  saturated  wdth  the  disinfectant.  Runs 
must  be  fenced  off  for  the  fowls,  and  these  inclosures  thor- 
oughly sprinkled.  On  a  small  scale,  this  may  be  done  with 
a  watering  pot,  and  on  a  larger  one,  w^ith  a  cask  or  barrel 
mounted  on  wheels,  as  with  street  sprinklers.  The  disin- 
fectant costs  very  little,  even  when  several  barrels  of  it  are 
made;  it  is  entirely  reliable,  and,  consequently,  by  pro- 
ceeding in  this  way,  poultry  can  be  raised  with  the  greatest 
safety,  as  far  as  this  disease  is  concerned. 


430  Diseases  of  Fowls.  * 

THE  GAPES. 

Causes  and  Symptoms. — This  is  one  of  the  most  fatal 
diseases  of  chickens,  and  which  we  believe  infectious ;  it  is, 
at  all  events,  epidemic.  Unless,  perhaps,  thus  communi- 
cated by  others,  it  never  occurs  except  there  has  been  foul 
water,  exposure  to  wet,  and  want  of  nourishing  food.  The 
disease  consists — at  least,  so  far  as  actual  symptoms  extend — 
in  a  number  of  small  worms  which  infest  the  windpipe,  and 
cause  the  poor  chicken  to  gasp  for  breath. 

Treatment, — If  taken  early,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  give, 
every  day,  a  morsel  of  camplior,  the  size  of  a  grain  of  wheat, 
and  to  put  camphor  in  the  drinking  water ;  or  a  little  tur- 
pentine may  be  given  daily,  in  meal ;  taking  care,  of  course, 
that  the  deficiencies  in  diet  and  shelter  be  amended.  In 
fully-developed  cases  the  worms  must  be  removed  by  intro- 
ducing a  loop  of  horsehair  into  the  windpipe,  and  turning  it 
round  during  withdrawal ;  the  operation  to  be  repeated  sev- 
eral times,  till  all  the  worms  appear  to  be  extracted.  A 
feather,  stripped  almost  up  to  the  top,  may  be  used  instead 
of  the  horsehair.  Success  depends  on  doing  this  little  oper- 
ation neatly.  It  requires  two  persons.  An  assistant  should 
take  the  chicken,  holding  it  in  one  hand,  and  placing  the 
other  over  its  back,  so  as  to  hold  it  firm,  and  then  let  the 
operator  take  a  small  but  firm  feather,  and  strip  it  from  the 
stem,  excepting  about  an  inch  and  a  half  from  the  tip-end, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  chicken,  wetting  it  a  little,  except 
at  the  extreme  point.  The  operator  should  then  take  the 
head  of  the  chicken,  placing  his  thumb  and  fore-finger  on 
each  side  of  the  bill,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  hold  the  mouth 
open,  the  neck  being  gently  but  firmly  drawn  out  in  a  straight 
line.  Then  observe  the  opening  back  in  the  tongue,  place 
the  feather  as  near  to  it  as  possible,  and  when  the  chicken 
breathes,  the  windpipe  will  be  open,  at  which  moment  intro- 


The  Roup.  481 

duce  the  feather  quickly  and  push  it  down  gently,  but  not 
in  a  hurry,  from  two  to  three  inches;  then  draw  it  out,  and 
in  doing  so  turn  the  feather  round,  by  which  means  some  of 
the  worms  will  adhere  to  the  feather,  others  will  be  so  loos- 
ened, that  the  chicken  will  sneeze  them  up  and  throw  them 
from  its  mouth.  It  is  not  advisable  to  do  it  more  than  twice 
at  the  same  time;  but  if  the  patient  gapes  the  day  after,  you 
may  be  sure  there  are  sonfe  still  remaining,  and  the  operation 
must  be  repeated. 

THE  EOITP. 

Causes. — The  disease  known  by  this  name  is  highly  con- 
tagious, smd  will  rapidly  spread  among  poultry  unless  those 
sick  of  it  be  at  once  removed  from  the  yard.  It  is  very 
important,  therefore,  for  owners  to  be  able  to  recognize  it  at 
once,  and  to  separate  the  sick  immediately.  Otherwise,  a 
heavy  mortality  will  surely  follow. 

Symptoms. — The  roup  is  distinguished  in  its  early 
stages  by  these  symptoms:  the  eyes  become  swollen,  and  a 
discharge  issues  from  the  nostrils,  first  clear,  but  afterwards 
thick,  and  offensive  in  smell.  The  mouth  waters  and  the 
tongue  is  foul  and  coated.  The  fowl  droops,  and  usually 
has  diarrhoea. 

Treatment. — The  first  step  is  to  separate  the  sick  one 
from  the  rest  of  the  flock,  and  place  it  in  a  clean,  loarm 
house,  well  ventilated.  The  head  and  eyes  should  be  washed 
twice  a  day  with  warm  water  containing  a  tablespoonful  of 
vinegar  to  the  quart.  Green  food  should  be  given,  and  a 
moderate  amount  of  meal,  which  may  be  mixed  with  hot  ale 
or  weak  whisky  and  water.  A  little  Cayenne  pepper  is 
advantageously  added  to  the  meal.  Garlic  beaten  up  with 
butter  is  a  popular  remedy  in  England.  One  grain  of  sul- 
phate  of  copper,  in  a  pill  of  meal,  is  highly  esteemed  by  some 
poultry  fanciers  in  this  disease. 


432  Diseases  of  Fowls. 

Its  course  is  geoerally  rapid,  and  the  bird  will  usually  be 
almost  well  or  else  dead  within  one  week. 

LEG  WEAKNESS  AND  LOSS  OF  FEATHERS. 

Causes. — Both  these  complaints  generally  arise  from  lack 
of  proper  care  or  sufficient  food,  or  from  too  high  feeding. 
They  are  diseases  of  debility.  Old  fowls  suffer  especially 
from  bad  moulting. 

Treatment. — What  is  needed  is  a  regular  diet  of  good, 
healthy  food,  and  thorough  cleanliness.  To  these  should  be 
added  a  good  tonic.  There  is  one  which  is  very  celebrated 
among  chicken  fanciers  in  England,  known  as  ".Douglas' 
Mixture.^'  It  is  a  most  valuable  article  in  the  poultry  yard 
whenever  the  fowls  seem  weak  andla  nguid,  or  when  any  of 
them  are  recovering  from  an  attack  of  sickness.  The  receipt 
for  it  is  as  follows  : — 

Douglas'  Tonic  Poultry  Mixture. 

Take  Sulphate  of  iron,  half  a  pound. 

Sulphuric  acid,  1  oz. 

Pure  soft  water,  2  gallons. 

Mix  and  give  to  the  fowls  by  adding  one  teaspoonful  to  each  pint 
of  their  drinking  water. 

Whilst  the  fowls  are  moulting,  the  above  mixture,  or  a 
little  sulphate  of  iron,  should  always  be  used ;  it  will  assist 
them  greatly  through  this,  the  most  critical  period  of  the 
whole  year.  A  little  hemp-seed  should  also  be  given  every 
day,  at  this  season,  at  least  to  all  fowls  of  value;  and  with 
these  aids,  and  a  little  pepper  on  their  food,  with  perhaps  a 
little  extra  meat,  or  even  a  little  ale  during  the  few  weeks 
the  process  lasts,  there  will  rarely  be  any  lost. 

CHICKEN  LICE  AND  FLEAS. 

These  are  the  pest  of  many  a  hennery.  To  prevent  them, 
the  chicken  houses  should  be  frequently  whitewashed,  and 


Chicken  Lice  and  Fleas.  433 

powdered  sulphur  (flour  of  sulphur)  be  freely  sprinkled  over 
the  floor  and  in  the  nests. 

For  the  birds  themselves,  the  desire  which  fowls  have  of 
dusting  themselves — taking  a  dust  bath,  as  it  has  been 
termed — indicates  the  easy  and  natural  remedy  for  relieving 
them  from  fleas ;  a  heap  of  dry  sand,  or  still  better,  of  sifted 
ashes,  is  the  simplest  and  most  effective  remedy;  fowls  know 
how  to  apply  it  themselves.  As  to  more  loathsome  enemies 
to  their  comfort,  and  even  to  that  of  chickens,  in  whose 
tender  down  vermin  will  sometimes  lodge,  a  good  dusting  of 
pungent  snuff,  or  flour  of  sulphur,  at  the  roots  of  the  down 
or  feathers,  extending  to  the  bare  skin,  will  destroy  them. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  PKOFITABLE  MANAGEMENT  OF  LIVE  STOCK. 


CONTRIBUTED  BY  WILLIS  P.  HAZARD,  ESQ., 
Author  of  '\The  Guernsey  and  Jersey  Cow,"  "  Farmer's  Friend  and  Planter's  Guide. 


The  Coiv.     On  the  Best  Breeds— How  to  Choose  a  Good  Cow— 

How  to  Keep  Her  in  Permanent  Profit. 

To  properly  consider  and  answer  the  question,  What  are  the  best 
breeds  of  cows  for  butter  and  milk  dairies  ?  the  farmer  will  not  sim- 
ply declare  his  preference  for  the  Holstein,  the  Hereford,  the  Devon, 
the  Shorthorn  or  Durham,  the  Guernsey,  the  Ayrshire,  or,  though 
last  and  least,  still  not  the  least  important,  the  Jersey  breed,  nor 
even  for  the  native  with  its  imperfectly  traced  and  mingled  ances- 
try, but  will  carefully  study  the  merits  of  each,  or  at  least  such  as 
may  be  within  his  reach,  for  the  three  leading  points  oi yield,  profit 
and  food;  or,  in  other  words,  the  early  period  at  which  they  are 
ripe  for  the  butcher,  the  great  amount  of  food  they  produce  in  re- 
turn for  the  food  they  consume,  and  the  large  proportion  of  prime 
meat  which  they  yield.  A  proper  consideration  of  these  three  points 
will  naturally  tend  to  the  study  of  "  How  to  select  a  good  cow," 
and,  having  obtained  such  a  one,  "  How  to  maintain  her  in  the 
best  condition  for  profit." 

THE   DUTCH,    FRIESIAN   OR   HOLSTEINS. 

The  enthusiastic  admirers  of  the  Holstein  or  Dutch  breed— and 
their  numbers  are  rapidly  being  increased— as  well  as  the  best  au- 
thorities upon  the  subject,  all  agree  that  the  best  strains  of  milking- 
qualities  are  derived  from  the  Holstein  breed.  That  the  Danes  im- 
ported into  England  stock  from  Denmark,  Jutland  and  Holstein  is 
matter  of  history.  They  settled  in  the  county  of  Durham ;  from  thence 
their  cattle  spread  eventually  all  over  England— became  known  as 
Shorthorns,  and  as  such  have  been  imported  into  America,  where 
by  great  care  they  have  been  so  much  improved  as  to  be  exported 
again  to  England  at  fabulous  prices,  and  have  there  taken  some 
of  the  most  important  prizes.  But  while  the  attention  of  the  Eng- 
lish cattle-breeders  has  been  given  to  improving  and  perfecting 
the  beef-producing  qualities  of  their  Shorthorns,  the  Dutch  dairy- 
farmers  have  been  improving  their  dairy  stock  until  they  have  at- 

435 


436  DUTCH,  FRIESIAN  OR   HOLSTEINS. 

tained  to  a  degree  of  excellence  unsurpassed  by  any  other  breed. 
The  reasons  for  these  two  lines  of  management  are  easily  seen  :  in 
England  the  price  of  meat  has  so  enormously  increased  of  late 
years  as  to  pay  farmers  better  to  raise  meat  and  import  their  butter 
and  cheese ;  while  in  Holland  their  attention  is  devoted  especially 
to  the  dairy  and  the  manufacture  of  butter  and  cheese,  and  there- 
fore they  are  especially  particular  in  the  breeding,  keeping  and  care 
of  milch  cows. 

When  selecting  a  cow  to  breed  from,  they  choose  one  of  a  con- 
siderable size,  not  less  than  four  and  a  half  or  five  feet  girth,  with  a 
length  of  body  corresponding ;  legs  proportionately  short ;  a  finely- 
formed  head,  with  a  forehead  or  face  somewhat  concave;  clear, 
large,  mild  and  sparkling  eyes,  yet  with  no  expression  of  wildness ; 
tolerably  large  and  stout  ears,  standing  out  from  the  head ;  fine, 
well-curved  horns;  a  rather  short  than  long,  thick,  broad  neck, 
well  set  against  the  chest  and  withers ;  the  front  part  of  the  chest 
and  the  shoulders  must  be  broad  and  fleshy  ;  the  low-hanging  dew- 
lap must  be  soft  to  the  touch ;  the  back  and  loins  must  be  properly 
projected,  somewhat  broad;  the  bones  not  too  deep,  but  well  cov- 
ered with  flesh ;  the  animal  should  have  long,  curved  ribs,  which 
form  a  large  breast-bone ;  the  body  must  be  round  and  deep,  but 
not  sunken  into  a  hanging  belly ;  the  rump  must  not  be  uneven ; 
the  hip-bones  should  not  stand  out  too  broad  and  spreading,  but 
all  the  parts  be  level  and  well  filled  up ;  a  fine  tail,  set  moderately 
high  up,  and  tolerably  long,  but  slender,  with  a  thick,  bushy  tuft  of 
hair  at  the  end,  hanging  down  below  the  hocks  ;  the  legs  must  be 
short  and  low,  but  strong  in  the  bony  structure ;  the  knees  broad, 
with  flexible  joints ;  the  muscles  and  sinews  must  be  firm  and 
sound ;  the  hoofs  broad  and  flat,  and  the  position  of  the  legs  nat- 
ural, not  too  close  and  crowded ;  the  hide,  covered  with  fine  glossy 
hair,  must  be  soft  and  mellow  to  the  touch,  and  set  loose  upon  the 
body ;  a  large,  rather  long,  white  and  loose  udder,  extending  well 
back,  with  four  long  teats ;  large  and  prominent  milk-veins  must 
extend  from  the  navel  back  to  the  udder.  The  color  of  the  North 
Dutch  cattle  is  black  and  white  beautifully  contrasted. 

The  Holsteins  are  now  recognized  as  a  very  superior  kind  of 
large  Shorthorn  cattle,  remarkably  good  for  milk,  both  in  quantity 
and  quality.  As  working-oxen  they  have  a  very  high  reputation, 
being  large,  strong,  well-made,  quick,  high-spirited,  have  great  endu- 
rance of  heat,  are  very  muscular,  and,  having  great  aptitude  to  fatten, 
drovers  and  butchers  esteem  them  highly.  They  are  extremely 
valuable  to  cross  with  other  breeds. 

Four  cows,  each  five  years  old,  measured  six  feet  four  inches  in 


THE   SHORTHORNS'.  437 


girth,  seven  feet  six  inches  in  length,  four  feet  six  inches  in  height, 
and  weighed  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  none  varying  much 
firom  these  dimensions.  One  of  the  four  produced  at  four  years  old, 
in  the  month  of  June,  an  average  of  fifty-six  pounds  of  milk  per  day 
for  thirty  days,  and  one  year  later,  in  seven  days,  seventy-three 
pounds  per  day.  The  milk,  too,  is  of  the  most  fattening  and  nu- 
tritive quality,  as  is  evidenced  by  a  calf  born  in  August  weighing  at 
birth  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds,  increasing  in  eighty  days  to 
three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  or  an  average  gain  of  three  pounds 
per  day. 

As  the  Holsteins  are  pecuHarly  adapted  to  our  section  of  country, 
are  excellent  for  cheese-making  or  production  of  milk  for  the  family 
and  market,  and  for  butter,  we  hope  to  see  the  breed  more  extended, 
believing  they  are  pre-eminently  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  general 
farmer,  combining  the  three  desirable  qualities  of  dairy,  beef  and 
work-cattle.  One  objection  has  been  made  to  them — that  if  proper 
attention  is  not  paid  to  their  breeding  they  are  apt  to  degenerate 
into  large,  coarse  stock. 

THE  SHORTHORNS. 

The  Shorthorns  would  naturally  next  claim  our  attention,  deriving 
so  much  as  they  did  from  the  Dutch  breed,  and  also  on  account  of 
the  importance  to  which  they  have  attained  in  the  United  States. 
In  1815  and  18 16  a  few  Shorthorns  were  imported  into  this  country, 
and  for  the  next  four  years  more  were  imported  into  Kentucky,  were 
carefully  bred,  and  from  thence  spread  through  the  Western  coun- 
try. In  1834  an  association  in  Ohio  brought  over  nineteen  head, 
and  in  the  following  year  two  additional  lots,  and  since  then  several 
hundred  with  well-established  pedigrees  have  been  imported  into 
the  United  States.  From  the  fact  that  the  first  prominent  breeders 
of  the  Shorthorns  resided  in  Durham  county,  they  took  the  name  of 
Durhams,  and  have  so  retained  it  with  many  of  our  farmers  ever 
since. 

During  the  fifty  years  the  Shorthorns  have  been  domesticated  in 
this  country  they  have  been  imported  in  greater  numbers  than  any 
other  breed,  they  are  more  widely  known,  and  have  acquired  greater 
popularity ;  surely  this  must  have  been  from  some  good  qualities 
which  have  so  strongly  tended  to  recommend  them.  They  have 
become  acchmated,  and  are  healthy,  thriving  on  common  food 
equally  well  with  our  native  cattle.  They  are  of  large  size,  fine, 
tender  meat,  grow  rapidly,  and  take  on  meat  and  fat  fast  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  of  food  they  consume  ;  make  powerful  and  docile 
oxen,  are  excellent  in  the  dairy,  giving  large  quantities  of  milk  and 


438  THE  SHORTHORNS. 

butter  and  rich  cheese.  With  all  these  qualities  we  might  readily 
suppose  pure  Shorthorns  were  just  the  breed  for  farmers.  Our  own 
choice  is  the  Durham,  the  Jersey,  and  the  Durham  and  Jersey  mixed. 
Wherever  there  is  good  pasturage  and  plenty  of  winter  fodder  the 
Durhams  will  thrive  well,  but  they  are  not  the  breed  for  stony  land 
with  scant  herbage,  where  they  have  their  living  to  earn ;  the  Devon 
or  the  Kerry  cow  is  the  one  for  that. 

With  many  of  our  farmers  the  Shorthorns  have  the  reputation  of 
being  better  beef-producers  than  milk-raisers ;  but  where  proper  at- 
tention is  paid  to  having  the  bull  of  stock  showing  a  strong  milking 
tendency,  and  the  cow  the  same,  excellent  stock  can  be  raised  for 
quantity  and  quality  of  milk.  They  are  naturally  good  milkers, 
and  where  raised  for  that  object  no  milch  cows  exceed  them.  It  has 
been  from  the  undue  attention  to  their  beef-producing  qualities  that 
many  have  been  led  to  suppose  they  were  not  as  good  milkers  as 
some  other  breeds ;  we  have  always  found  their  milk  to  be  very 
rich. 

We  will  now  give  the  points  by  which  to  select  a  pure-bred  Short- 
horn bull,  merely  repeating  that  for  milk-cow  breeding  a  bull  de- 
scended from  milk  cows  must  be  selected.  The  bull's  head  should 
be  fine,  yet  masculine ;  the  muzzle  small ;  the  nostril  wide  and  open  ; 
the  nose  cream-color,  orange  or  drab,  even  a  nut-brown,  but  never 
smoky  or  black;  the  face  and  jaws  lean  of  flesh;  the  forehead 
broad,  the  face  slightly  dishing  or  concave;  the  eyes  prominent, 
bright  and  mild  ;  the  ears  small  and  lively  in  action  ;  the  horn  well 
set,  flattish  in  shape,  and  waxy,  not  white,  in  color,  with  no  black, 
except  at  the  very  tips,  inclining  outward,  and  not  much  upward. 
The  neck  should  be  somewhat  arching,  as  showing  masculine 
strength  and  power,  and  setting  well  back  on  the  shoulders,  with 
a  clean  throat  and  no  dewlap,  except  a  slight  pendulous  thread  of 
skin  at  the  brisket. 

The  shoulders  should  be  set  wide,  straight  and  open  at  the  top, 
smooth  at  the  points,  with  a  bull-neck  vein,  ending  below  with  a 
full,  thick  brisket,  projecting  forward.  The  knees  should  stand 
wide,  and  below  them  a  firm,  compact  leg,  ending  in  a  clean,  well- 
shaped  hoof  The  chine  and  back  should  be  on  a  level  from  the 
shoulders  to  the  tail ;  the  ribs  round,  springing  roundly  in  an  arch 
from  the  back,  and  running  down  to  give  full  room  for  the  heart 
and  lungs  to  play  in  a  broad,  deep  chest.  The  hips  should  be  wide 
and  on  a  level  with  the  back ;  the  flank  full  and  low ;  the  loin  full, 
long,  level  and  broad ;  the  rump  level  and  well-shaped  ;  the  tail  set 
symmetrically  and  level,  small  and  round  in  shape;  the  thighs 
broad;   the  gambrel-joints  straight,  and  the  leg  below  fine  and 


THE  DEVONS  AND  AYRSHIRES.  439 

sinewy.  Fineness  of  bone  and  a  soft,  elastic  touch,  or  "good 
handling,"  are  also  two  indispensable  points.  The  temper  should 
be  mild  and  gentle. 

The  same  points  apply  to  the  cow,  though  modified  by  the  gentler 
and  more  refined  qualities  of  her  sex.  If  the  milking-qualities  are 
no  object  to  the  breeder,  he  will  select  only  for  symmetry,  good 
constitution  and  general  excellence.  If  milk  be  the  object,  the  parts 
indicating  that  quality  are  to  be  considered,  and  selections  made 
accordingly. 

As  to  the  color,  tastes  differ.  Red,  red  and  white  and  the  red 
roans  are  mostly  preferred,  but  any  color  from  red  to  clear  white  is 
a  good  Shorthorn  color.  White  is  usually  least  preferred,  simply  as 
a  matter  of  taste,  and  therefore  as  a  color  for  thorough-breds  is  not 
so  saleable ;  but  for  beef-breeding  the  color  is  of  Httle  consequence, 
so  that  the  animal  itself  is  good.  Specimens  of  this  breed  have 
brought  the  highest  prices  ever  given  for  cattle. 

THE   DEVONS. 

The  Devons  may  fairly  next  claim  our  attention,  as  perhaps,  next 
to  the  Shorthorns,  more  of  this  breed  have  been  imported  into  this 
country  than  of  any  other.  Of  this  breed  whilst  on  a  visit  to  Dev- 
onshire we  noticed  two  kinds,  the  North  and  the  South  Devons, 
evidently  originally  from  the  same  stock,  but  by  a  long  course  of 
breeding  in  special  localities  of  quite  different  appearance — the 
North  Devons  of  smaller  size  and  a  deep  rich  red  color,  the  South 
Devons  more  of  a  tawny  red,  rather  larger  and  more  chunky ;  the 
cows  of  the  former  weighing  about  one  thousand  pounds,  and  those 
of  the  latter  about  twelve  hundred  pounds.  The  South  Devons  are 
very  beautiful,  of  small  bone,  but  of  very  fleshy  appearance,  as  they 
rapidly  take  on  flesh  at  two  and  a  half  years  old. 

The  Devons,  while  giving  moderate  quantities  of  milk,  give  that 
of  very  rich  quality ;  therefore  for  those  who  have  milk  dairies  we 
should  not  recommend  them,  but  a  few  to  help  the  butter-yield  and 
improve  the  color  is  desirable.  As  oxen  they  have  no  superiors, 
being  of  moderate  size,  weighing  about  fifteen  hundred  pounds, 
though  often  fattened  to  two  thousand  pounds ;  active  of  foot, 
though  their  short  limbs  would  hardly  indicate  it ;  easily  fattened, 
as  they  "take  on"  very  quickly,  affording  the  choicest  meat  for  the 
butcher;  and  withal  they  are  docile,  amiable  and  easily  taught; 
they  will  thrive  where  larger  or  more  delicate  animals  would  hardly 
live,  being  hardy  and  vigorous. 

THE  AYRSHIRES. 

Among  the  milk-breeds  prominent  in  the  British  Isles  the  Ayr- 


440  THE   AYRSHIRES. 


shires  hold  a  leading  place.  They  derive  the  name  from  the  county 
of  Ayr  in  Scotland,  where  they  are  principally  kept.  Their  superior 
qualities  as  milkers  and  for  hardiness  of  constitution  have  induced 
various  writers  to  attribute  part  of  their  origin  to  their  favorite  breeds. 
Nearly  equal  testimony  is  offered  in  favor  of  the  Holsteins,  the 
Shorthorn  and  the  Jersey,  though  the  weight  of  the  testimony  is  in 
favor  of  the  Jersey.  They  have  always  borne  the  character  of  being 
prolific  milkers,  with  butyraceous  quality  particularly  in  proportion 
to  their  size,  which  is  small.  The  Ayrshire  farmers,  finding  more 
profit  in  their  dairies,  have  paid  great  attention  to  improving  this 
breed,  so  well  suited  to  them ;  and  perhaps  no  breed  affords  a  better 
illustration  of  what  care  and  design  will  do  to  develop  peculiar 
properties  in  an  animal  at  the  expense  of  other  qualities.  The  result 
is  dairy  animals  of  high  quality,  and  they  have  been  introduced 
largely  into  England,  the  north  of  Ireland  and  this  country. 

Instances  are  cited  of  large  yields,  but  we  beheve  the  usual  aver- 
age to  be  six  hundred  gallons  per  year,  or  one  hundred  and  seven- 
ty-five pounds  of  butter,  or  four  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  of 
cheese,  where  they  are  well  fed  and  cared  for.  The  oxen  work 
kindly,  and  steers  can  be  turned  off  at  three  years  old  weighing 
seven  or  eight  hundred  pounds.  The  beef  is  excellent,  the  fat 
being  much  mixed  with  the  flesh,  though  not  a  favorite  with  the 
butcher,  as  he  cannot  sell  so  much  tallow  as  from  other  breeds. 

The  following  are  the  principal  points  :  The  head  must  be  small, 
high  and  bony ;  the  eye  bright ;  the  horn  white,  with  a  dark  tip, 
widely  set  on,  inchning  upward,  and  curving  slightly 'inward ;  neck 
very  thin  and  light,  as  the  whole  fore  end  must  be ;  shoulder  thin 
at  the  top ;  the  posterior  ribs  must  spring  well  from  the  backbone ; 
the  loin  must  be  broad  and  form  well  with  the  wide  hips  and  the 
capacious  pelvis ;  the  whole  frame  thus  forms  a  true  wedge,  with  the 
point  at  the  shoulder.  The  rumps  are  wide  and  tolerably  high,  the 
tail  long  and  slender,  the  legs  straight,  the  thigh  rather  thin,  and 
the  udder  must  be  large  and  broad,  extending  well  forward,  with 
thin,  flexible  skin,  and  teats  wide  apart,  hanging  perpendicularly, 
and  from  two  to  two  and  a  half  inches  long.  The  colors  must  be 
red  and  white,  splashed  and  Hotched,  and  becoming  roan,  as  in 
the  Shorthorn,  but  with  cloudy-defined  edges  ;  the  white  portion  is 
often  flecked  with  the  darker  color.  Black  and  white,  brown  and 
white,  are  not  uncommon  now ;  the  darker  the  red,  even  becoming 
deep  brown,  the  more  fashionable. 

Popular  as  this  breed  has  become  in  New  England,  we  believe  it 
will  never  become  very  much  so  in  rich  sections.  Rich  pastures 
will  support  larger  breeds,  which  when  turned  off  and  fattened  will 


THE  JERSEYS.  441 


bring  in  more  money.  As  a  breed  to  cross  with  larger  stock,  or 
even  with  the  Jersey  to  increase  the  richness  of  its  great  flow  of 
milk,  we  would  recommend  it  highly. 

THE    JERSEYS. 

The  Jerseys — formerly  called  Alderneys,  from  the  fact  that  they 
were  imported  into  England  from  the  Channel  Isles,  of  which  Jer- 
sey and  Alderney  are  well  known — have  of  late  years  so  occupied 
public  attention  that  we  must  devote  some  space  to  their  well- 
defined  merits. 

The  Jerseys  are  noted  for  their  extraordinary  richness  of  milk  and 
their  beautiful  form,  thus  making  them  the  most  desirable  breed  for 
small  country  places,  for  crossing  with  other  breeds  to  improve  the 
strain  of  milking  qualities,  and  for  giving  character  to  the  butter  of 
the  dairyman. 

Brought  up  in  a  mild  climate  which  hardly  knows  any  winter, 
they  have  been  imported  into  this  country,  and  stand  the  change 
and  the  rigors  of  our  winter  nearly  if  not  quite  as  well  as  our  natives, 
and  in  fact  improve  so  much  that  many  good  breeders  claim  that 
we  have  fine  cows  born  here  of  the  Jersey  breed  that  are  superior  to 
the  majority  of  those  in  the  Channel  Islands. 

In  their  native  country  great  care  is  taken  of  them ;  they  are 
housed  from  the  wet,  are  carefully  fed,  and  form  almost  as  much 
one  of  the  family  as  the  pig  in  Ireland.  When  pasturing,  as  the 
farms  are  very  small,  they  are  tethered  by  a  rope  attached  to  their 
horns,  allowing  them  a  circle  of  sixteen  feet  diameter,  and  changed 
to  new  spots  three  times  a  day.  With  the  constant  contact  they 
have  with  the  farmers,  or  mostly  their  wives,  who  have  the  princi- 
pal care  of  them,  the  cows  become  very  docile  and  affectionate.  In 
this  country,  where  the  same  care  is  not  taken  of  them,  they  some- 
times become  wild,  and  even  very  cross. 

The  peculiar  colors  and  beautiful  shape  of  the  Jerseys  at  once 
excite  attention,  and  enable  them  to  be  recognized  at  a  glance,  their 
deer-like  heads  and  large  prominent  eyes  being  very  noticeable. 
Their  chief  characteristics  are :  in  the  cpw  the  head  is  small,  thin 
and  rather  long ;  her  horn  is  short,  delicate  and  curved  forward, 
white  with  a  dark  tip ;  her  muzzle  is  black,  and  encircled  with  a 
band  of  light  color,  as  is  the  eye,  which  is  bright,  large  and  prom- 
inent ;  her  ear  is  small  and  flexible,  the  inside  skin  being  bright 
yellow :  her  neck  is  thin  and  delicate,  and  of  medium  length  ;  her 
shoulders  thin  and  sloping,  and  forming  with  the  fore  ribs  a  gradual 
slope  outward  to  the  hips  ;  the  back  tolerably  straight  from  withers 
to  setting  on  of  tail,  though  generally  with  some  sway  from  the  size 


442  THE   JERSEYS. 


and  weight  of  the  stomach,  which  is  large ;  her  loin  is  wide  and  the 
hind  quarters  well  spread,  and  pelvis  roomy ;  her  tail  is  long  and 
delicate,  with  a  full  brush  at  the  end;  the  thighs  are  thin;  chest 
deep,  though  narrow ;  legs  very  fine  below  the  knee ;  hocks  slightly 
turned  inward ;  udder  large,  reaching  well  forward,  with  teats  of 
moderate  size  placed  wide  apart ;  skin  thin,  and  not  too  loose  ;  hair 
smooth  and  fine.  The  color  varies:  yellow,  yellow  and  white, 
mouse-color  or  dun,  brown,  and  almost  black,  are  the  chief  tints. 
The  bulls  are  usually  darker  than  the  females,  and  the  depth  of 
color  increases  with  age.  The  head  of  the  calf  is  strikingly  like 
that  of  a  fawn,  and  at  all  ages  the  peculiar  coloring,  large  dark  eye 
and  flexible  ear  give  the  head  a  deer-like  look. 

The  milk  of  the  Jersey  cow  is  particularly  rich,  and  is  of  a  deep 
yellow  color,  yielding  a  butter  of  a  rich  golden  color  and  of  pecu- 
liarly firm  grain  and  fine  flavor.  The  amount  of  cream  is  proved 
to  be  from  19  to  25  per  cent.  While  the  quantity  given  is  not  large, 
but  in  proportion  to  her  small  size  good,  its  peculiar  richness  and 
color  make  it  of  great  importance  in  giving  character  to  the  milk  of 
a  dairy.  Twelve  quarts  per  day  is  perhaps  a  fair  average,  though 
it  is  proved  by  analysis  to  be  far  richer  in  butyraceous  qualities  than 
that  of  any  other  breed. 

The  Jersey  is  not  a  large  consumer,  even  in  vroportion  to  her 
size,  and  when  dry  thrives  fast  and  makes  excellent  beef;  the  calves 
are,  however,  not  a  favorite  with  the  butcher.  As  a  breed  to  cross 
with  the  native  the  Jersey  has  no  superior,  refining  those  of  a  coarse 
tendency,  and  giving  her  peculiarly  rich  color  of  milk,  cream  and 
butter.  The  principal  drawback  in  their  breeding  qualities  is  that 
they  are  not  sure  getters. 

As  a  dairy  cow  for  the  farmer  the  Jersey  will  never  be  very  pop- 
ular, the  first  cost  being  too  great  for  profit  compared  with  other 
stock ;  for  a  milk  dairy  the  yield  is  not  large  enough  ;  for  a  butter 
dairy,  while  the  yield  is  very  great  and  of  the  best  quality  of  but- 
ter, it  will  not  pay  the  general  farmer,  but  only  those  who  attend 
market  personally  and  have  particular  customers  who  will  pay 
fancy  prices.  But  we  would  strongly  advise  every  farmer  to  keep 
at  least  one  Jersey  to  every  ten,  if  not  to  every  six,  cows,  of  what- 
ever breed.  And  we  think  no  better  cows  can  be  raised  than  by 
the  use  of  a  Jersey  bull  with  cows  of  native  or  other  stock  which 
have  proved  themselves  prolific  milkers.  And  here  we  should  like 
to  say  a  few  words  against  the  practice  now  so  common  amongst 
us  of  raising  few  cows,  and  buying  our  supplies  for  the  dairy  from 
herds  that  we  can  know  but  little  of.  One  good  cow  that  proves 
herself  valuable  as  a  milk  or  butter  cow  should  have  her  progeny 


THE   GUERNSEYS.  443 


well  got  and  carefully  reared.  Any  farmer  can  better  afford  to 
raise  such  than  to  purchase  from  chance  opportunities ;  and  the 
cost  of  two  or  three  good  calves  raised  upon  a  farm  each  year  will 
never  be  felt,  and  in  a  short  time  they  will  come  into  profit.  It 
stands  to  reason  that  the  stock  that  is  raised  by  a  farmer  at  a  dis- 
tance and  sent  here  to  be  sold  cannot  be  the  raiser's  best,  those  he 
is  sure  to  keep,  and  it  can  hardly  pay  us  to  buy  the  poorest  to 
milk  a  few  years  and  turn  over  to  the  butcher. 

In  improving  our  stock  we  must  breed  intelligently,  bearing  in 
mind  that  the  cow  needed  for  the  dairy  cannot,  under  any  circum- 
stances, be  selected  for  those  qualities  which  will  produce  fat — the 
two  natures  are  incompatible  :  to  have  the  best  meat  we  must  get 
rid  of  every  tendency  to  milk,  and  to  have  the  best  butter  we  must 
obviate  every  disposition  to  fat.  We  cannot  have  both  qualities  in 
the  same  animal,  and  the  attempt  will  end  only  in  disappointment. 
And  this  is  one  of  the  proofs  of  the  great  value  of  the  Jersey  for 
the  dairy :  the  unusual  secretion  of  the  fat  in  the  milk  may  reason- 
ably be  attributed  to  the  slight  waste  of  the  fat-forming  portions  of 
the  food  that  moderate  respiration  and  limited  exercise  make  pos- 
sible, and  to  the  fact  that  the  fat  in  this  form,  rather  than  in  flesh, 
has  long  been  the  prime  object  of  the  farmer's  attention. 

* 

THE  GUERNSEYS. 

The  Guernsey  breed  is  one  that  is  now  rapidly  coming  into  favor 
as  the  farmer's  cow.  It  has  all  the  merits  of  the  Jersey  for  rich 
milk  and  high-class  butter,  and,  although  it  has  not  the  beauty  of 
the  Jersey,  still  it  is  a  larger  animal  and  gives  a  much  larger  quan- 
tity of  milk.  To  those  who  are  acquainted  with  her  excellent  qual- 
ities the  Guernsey  cow  has  a  beauty  that  is  highly  valued.  The 
quietness  and  docihty  of  both  cows  and  bulls  is  very  strong  recom- 
mendation of  them  as  one  of  the  best  points  of  a  milking  stock. 

As  large  as  a  small  Durham,  they  are  usually  of  a  lemon-fawn 
or  a  reddish-yellow  color,  largely  blotched  with  white.  The  white, 
besides  being  on  the  sides,  across  the  back  and  shoulders,  and 
often  on  the  neck,  on  the  belly  and  at  the  tip  of  the  tail,  is  almost 
always  on  all  four  legs,  more  or  less.  Around  the  eye  should  be 
circles  of  buff  or  yellow ;  on  the  muzzle  bufT,  though  black  is  now 
being  admitted  on  account  of  its  frequency.  The  head  is  long ; 
the  eye  mild  and  placid  in  its  expression ;  the  horns  waxy,  thin 
and  crumpled ;  the  skin  usually  of  a  rich  golden  color ;  the  hair, 
even  when  a  little  long,  soft  and  fine.  Altogether,  the  animal 
speaks  for  itself  as  a  rich  butyraceous  milk-giver,  and  in  large 
quantities.    No  finer  butter  is  made  than  the  firm,  waxy-grained, 


444         THE   HEREFORDS,  GALLOWAYS   AND    KERRYS. 


self-colored  butter  of  the  Guernsey.  The  cream  is  of  the  most 
golden  hue. 

The  Guernsey  when  crossed  upon  other  breeds  makes  its  mark 
strongly,  enriching  the  qualities  of  the  breed  crossed ;  and  where 
this  has  occurred  we  have  seen  the  traces  of  the  Guernsey  inter- 
mixture many  years  after  the  original  stock  was  gone.  At  the 
present  time,  owing  to  their  scarcity,  the  Guernseys  bring  the  high- 
est prices,  but  when  they  shall  become  more  plentiful  they  will 
continue  to  grow  rapidly  in  favor  and  become  the  popular  cow  for 
the  farmer. 

We  have  devoted  so  much  time  to  the  value  of  a  few  of  the  leading 
and  most  popular  breeds  that  we  shall  have  to  hurriedly  allude  to 
the  Herefords,  the  Galloways,  the  Kerry  cow  or  the  Swiss  catde. 

THE    HEREFORDS. 

The  Herefords,  supposed  to  have  sprung  from  the  same  stock 
as  the  Devons,  have  the  same  rich  color,  but  always  with  a  white 
face,  and  should  be  white  on  the  throat  and  the  under  portion  of 
the  body.  In  size  the  Hereford  ranks  next  to  the  Shorthorn,  at- 
taining very  nearly  as  great  weight  at  not  quite  so  early  an  age ; 
but  the  graziers  prefer  Shorthorn  heifers  and  Hereford  steers; 
they  make  excellent  oxen  and  steers,  but  the  cows  are  not  prime 
milkers :  this  reason  makes  them  popular  in  England,  where  beef 
is  the  principal  object,  but  they  will  probably  never  attain  so  much 
popularity  here,  though  when  better  known  they  will  be  more 
sought  for  in  the  West,  particularly  as  they  are  lower-priced 
than  the   Shorthorns. 

THE    GALLOWAYS. 

The  Galloways,  more  introduced  into  Canada  than  into  our  coun- 
try, are  natives  of  the  Lowlands  of  Scotlana  ;  they  are  usually 
black,  and  without  horns,  and  as  they  are  best  fitted  for  colder 
and  rougher  sections  than  here,  are  not  likely  ever  to  be  much  in- 
troduced, as,  though  their  milk  is  rich,  it  is  deficient  in  quantity. 
They  fatten  on  scanty  fare,  have  a  hardy  constitution,  yield  a  su- 
perior quality  of  beef,  but  are  slow  in  coming  to  maturity. 

THE    KERRYS. 

The  Kerry  cows  we  saw  in  perfection  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Lakes 
of  Killarney,  and  tasted  their  rich  milk.  They  have  been  im- 
ported in  small  numbers,  particularly  into  Massachusetts.  As  we 
saw  them,  they  were  mostly  black,  some  brown  or  brindled  ;  they 
are  small  and  very  hardy,  but  neat  and  trim-looking ;  almost  wild, 
living  in  the  roughest  country  on  the  slimmest  sort  of  pasture, 


SWISS   CATTLE — WHAT   OUR   FARMERS   WANT.        445 

which  they  crop  with  the  goat.  They  are  emphatically  the  poor 
man's  cows,  yielding  for  their  size  abundance  of  milk  of  a  good 
quality,  and  fattening  rapidly  when  required.  That  the  poor  man 
appreciates  them  is  proved  by  the  price  asked  for  them,  about 
fourteen  pounds ;  and  we  saw  poor  fellows  who  tasted  meat  but 
once  a  year  who  lived  on  the  buttermilk  of  their  product,  with  po- 
tatoes and  our  corn  meal,  who  did  not  care  to  sell  them  for  that, 
the  butter  being  nearly  the  only  article  that  brought  them  in  any 
money,  save  their  labor,  as  the  pig  went  to  pay  the  rent.  Good 
yielders  as  they  are,  we  think  their  size  and  price  will  prevent  them 
from  making  much  progress  in  this  country. 

SWISS  CATTLE. 

The  Swiss  cattle  have  not  been  largely  imported  into  this  coun- 
try, but  they  bear  a  high  reputation  at  home  and  in  France.  They 
are  hardy  and  robust,  usually  of  a  dun  color,  or  dun  and  white,  with 
medium  heads,  hanging  dewlaps,  rather  coarse  shoulders,  and 
broad  hips  and  quarters,  with  well-developed  udders,  reminding 
the  observer  very  much  of  the  Jerseys,  though  of  a  coarser  build. 
They  bear  removal  to  other  cHmates  readily,  fatten  well  and  are 
excellent  milkers.  The  best  cows  yield  an  average  of  from  ten  to 
twenty  quarts  daily,  and  about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds 
of  cheese  in  a  season  of  four  months.  We  should  be  glad  to  see 
them  imported,  feeling  sure  they  would  much  improve  with  richer 
pasture  and  be  a  valuable  acquisition. 

WHAT   OUR   FARMERS  WANT. 

We  have  thus  given  a  short  sketch  of  the  most  prominent  breeds, 
and  as  each  has  some  distinctive  merit,  it  is  nearly  impossible,  in 
deciding  which  breed  will  be  of  the  most  profit,  to  satisfy  all  tastes 
and  judgments  ;  but  as  each  farmer  is  apt  to  have  his  own  favorites 
or  dislikes,  as  his  own  experience  has  caused  him  to  think,  perhaps 
the  truest  way  to  arrive  at  a  correct  conclusion  will  be  to  ascertain 
what  the  general  farmer  needs. 

First.  He  wants  a  good-sized  animal,  which  will  bring  most  of  its 
cost  when  fed  off  for  beef  after  failing  as  a  milker. 

Second.  He  wants  a  cow  that  will  come  into  profit  early. 

Third.  He  wants  a  cow  that  will  give  plenty  of  milk,  and  rich, 
whether  for  milk,  butter  or  cheese. 

Fourth.  He  wants  a  cow  that  will  consume  the  least  food  for 
the  product  gained. 

Fifth.  If  raised  for  oxen,  he  wants  those  that  will  be  tractable, 
active  and  docile,  and  will  feed  up  quickly  for  the  butcher  after 
service. 


446  HOW   TO   CHOOSE   A   GOOD   COW. 

Is  there  any  one  breed  that  will  combine  all  these  qualities  ?  We 
believe  the  Durhams  will  come  the  nearest  to  it,  or  the  Durhams 
and  Jerseys  mixed.  And  we  repeat  what  we  have  said  before,  that 
the  farmers  should  raise  their  own  stock  more,  by  selecting  the  best 
cows  they  have  or  can  get,  whether  native  or  imported — the  latter 
we  presume  not  often,  as  being  too  high-priced — and  breeding  them 
with  the  best  bull  of  pure  stock  of  known  milking-qualities  they  can 
get.  And  by  paying  attention  to  the  business  of  improving  their 
herds,  and  by  judicious  crossing,  they  will  soon  reap  the  profit  and 
satisfaction  they  deserve.  So  much  good  stock  has  of  late  years 
been  imported  that  it  is  better  and  cheaper  to  get  cattle  that  have 
been  Americanized  than  to  risk  the  cost  and  danger  of  importation. 
There  is,  however,  a  class  of  farmers,  whether  amateur  or  practical, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  introduce  new  and  valuable  stock  as  they  can 
afford  it ;  but  it  is  also  the  duty  of  another  class,  who  can't  afford  it, 
to  encourage  such  undertakings  by  paying  a  little  larger  price  than 
usual  for  the  services  of  an  imported  bull,  and  not,  by  sneering  or 
depreciating  the  value  of  all  such  animals,  to  make  the  importer  feel 
he  has  undertaken  a  thankless  task,  and  an  unremunerative  one, 
for  the  extra  price  even  will  not  pay  him. 

HOW  TO   CHOOSE  A   GOOD  COW. 

Having  decided  what  breed  to  raise,  the  first  important  step  is  to 
know  how  to  choose  a  good  cow.  There  are  a  few  general  rules. 
See  that  the  cow  is  as  much  wedge-shaped  as  may  be ;  that  is,  view- 
ing her  from  the  side,  that  she  increases  in  height  and  depth  the 
farther  you  go  from  the  head  ;  and  from  the  front,  that  from  a  small 
head  and  narrow  neck  and  shoulders  she  gradually  and  regularly 
enlarges  to  a  broad  hip  and  back.  2d.  See  that  her  "  mirror"  or 
"escutcheon  "  is  good  and  free  from  depreciating  marks.  3d.  See 
that  her  milk-veins  are  large  and  prominent,  and  where  it  enters 
the  stomach  that  the  hole — or  better  if  two — is  large  and  deep ;  that 
the  udder  is  full  in  the  forward  part,  and  that  the  teats  are  of  good 
size,  well  separated,  and  not  too  projecting  toward  the  sides.  4th. 
The  hair  and  hide  must  be  soft,  mellow  and  rich. 

A  general  examination  should  show  the  head  small,  slender  and 
lengthy  from  the  eye  to  the  nose ;  the  horns  thin  and  open,  not 
crumped  nor  too  curly ;  the  eye  full,  but  not  too  prominent,  the  lat- 
ter quality  indicating  an  excitability,  and  consequent  restlessness 
of  disposition,  that  is  not  favorable  to  the  production  of  milk ;  the 
ear  lengthy  and  broad,  and  well  fringed  with  hair,  which  protects  it 
from  the  annoyance  of  flies  and  indicates  a  strong  constitution ;  a 
broad  muzzle  should  be  avoided,  as  showing  a  tendency  to  fat ;  the 


HOW  TO   CHOOSE  A   GOOD   COW.  447 

neck  should  be  long,  flat  and  narrow,  with  a  tendency  to  rise  at  the 
withers,  and  breadth  behind  the  arm  to  allow  of  a  full  expansion  of 
the  lungs,  the  chest  being  rather  deep  than  broad ;  the  flat-sided 
cow  is  more  especially  to  be  chosen  if  she  has  depth  to  the  barrel, 
with  the  ribs  bending  fairly  outward,  somewhat  the  shape  of  a  horse- 
collar  ;  the  hips  should  be  wide,  rugged  and  high,  and  the  pelvis  or 
haunches  wide  and  large,  drooping  toward  the  tail ;  the  thigh  long 
and  lean  from  hip  to  hock,  the  veins  being  prominent  and  easily 
felt ;  the  legs  slender,  with  flat  bone  ;  and  small  flat  feet,  the  hinder 
ones  having  a  good  width  between,  to  afford  room  for  the  udder. 
A  long  and  thin  tail  is  a  great  point  in  breeding. 

The  udder,  the  reservoir  of  the  milk,  to  which  all  former  points 
are  secondary,  should  be  free  from  hair,  flexible  and  soft,  with  no 
tendency  to  flesh  ;  the  bag  extending  well  forward,  as  level  as  pos- 
sible with  the  belly,  and  high  up  between  the  thighs.  The  feeding- 
veins  should  be  particularly  observed.  In  the  heifer  with  her  first 
calf  they  must  be  felt  for  with  the  hand ;  in  this  case  two  holes  will 
be  discovered  by  feeling  under  the  belly  nearly  in  a  line  with  the 
navel  on  each  side  in  good  milking  heifers — about  the  size  of  a 
dime.  As  age  increases  the  holes  extend,  and  the  veins  become 
large  and  easily  perceived  by  the  eye ;  the  larger  these  feeding- 
veins  appear,  the  greater  is  the  quantity  of  milk.  The  teats  should 
be  well  separated,  not  fat  or  fleshy,  and  not  too  long,  but  sufficient- 
ly tight  to  retain  the  milk,  having  a  tendency  downward — that  is, 
to  use  the  technical  term,  not  strutting,  or  pointing  away  from  the 
quarters,  as  this  causes  waste  of  milk  and  difficulty  in  milking.  The 
hide  also  will  be  found  useful  in  determining  the  fitness  of  particular 
cows  for  particular  localities,  but  has  little  to  do  with  the  milking 
properties.  If  possible,  it  is  better  to  accustom  a  cow  to  cold  and 
exposure  by  degrees,  in  which  case  the  hide  will  adapt  itself  to  the 
altered  condition  by  thickening  and  producing  more  hair. 

A  good  cow  not  only  yields  much  good  milk,  but  almost  in  pro- 
portion to  the  quantity  given  daily  is  there  a  long  continuance  of 
the  secretion  between  the  periods  of  calving.  But  no  cow  should  be 
allowed  to  give  milk  beyond  eight  months  before  calving ;  the  system 
requires  at  least  one  month's  rest ;  the  calf  will  be  larger  and  health- 
ier, and  the  mother  will  yield  better  and  richer  milk  after  calving. 

The  fact  that  the  system  is  more  capable  of  undergoing  natural, 
though  very  marked,  changes  in  early  life  without  danger  renders 
a  young  animal  indispensable  for  the  dairy,  either  to  breed  from  or 
to  prove  profitable  to  the  keeper.  To  detenmne  the  age  of  a  cow  is 
therefore  a  matter  of  importance,  and  this  can  be  done  with  great 
precision  by  examining  the  teeth  and  horns. 


448  guenon's  method. 


To  determine  the  milking-qualities  of  a  cow  many  important 
points  have  to  be  considered.  In  addition  to  those  we  have  men- 
tioned, the  skin  should  be  free,  thin,  and  may  be  covered  with  hair 
of  any  color,  according  to  the  breed.  The  tail  is  by  some  much 
looked  to,  and  it  is  believed  that  when  fine  and  reaching  down  to 
the  hocks,  with  a  fine  tuft  of  hair,  it  is  associated  with  other  good 
milking-points.  If  in  addition  to  large  milk-veins  the  network  of 
veins  seen  beneath  the  skin  over  the  fore  quarters  of  the  udder,  and 
the  udder  itself,  and  those  which  pass  upward  behind  toward  the 
tail — in  fact  over  the  perineum — are  large,  they  are  sure  tests  of  a 
competent  milker.  They  should  be  highly  developed,  large  and 
varicose ;  they  are  irregular,  in  zigzag  lines,  knotted,  and  more  or 
less  oblique.  To  estimate  them  it  is  necessary  to  take  into  account 
the  state  of  the  cows  in  respect  to  flesh,  the  thickness  of  the  skin, 
food,  general  activity,  fatigue,  journeys,  heat.  It  is  necessary  also 
to  recollect  that  in  both  sexes  all  the  veins  are  larger  in  the  old  than 
in  the  young — that  the  veins  which  encircle  the  udder  are  those 
which,  if  the  cows  are  in  milk,  vary  most  according  to  the  different 
periods  of  life ;  though  scarcely  apparent  in  youth,  they  are  of  con- 
siderable size  when,  after  several  calvings,  the  operation  of  calving 
has  given  the  gland  its  full  development.  Finally,  there  is  the  most 
valuable  of  all  methods — Guenon's  system. 

guenon's  method. 

Guenon,  rising  from  the  humbler  classes,  and  from  his  boyhood 
being  among  milch  cows  in  the  vicinity  of  Bordeaux,  narrowly  ob- 
served the  relation  between  the  amount  of  milk  secreted  and  the 
development  of  the  patch  of  skin  covered  with  upturned  hair  ex- 
tending from  the  udder  upward  and  laterally  over  the  thighs.  He 
could  tell  almost  infallibly  about  the  exact  quantity  any  cow  would 
give,  and  the  quality.  And  so  may  the  thorough  student  of  his  sys- 
tem, as  it  is  based  upon  facts  and  long  observation.  It  is  not  very- 
easy  to  give  intelligibly  the  whole  system,  in  order  to  adopt  it  with- 
out further  guide,  in  a  condensed  article  like  this ;  a  practical  de- 
monstration will  prove  more  instructive.  But  the  farmer  should  not 
fail  to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  it,  as  simplified  and  made 
easy  and  plain  in  the  book  with  one  hundred  engravings  published 
by  J.  M.  Stoddart  &  Co..  Philadelphia,  entitled  How  tG  Select 
Cows,  by  Willis  P.  Hazard ;  they  send  it  by  mail  on  recdpt  of  fifty- 
cents. 

Ten  forms  of  scutcheons  or  mirrors  have  been  described,  and 
constitute  the  basis  of  Guenon's  classification.  The  surface  of  the 
scutcheon  is  distinguished  by  the  hair  turned  upward  and  opposite 


MAINTAINING   THE   COW    IN    PROFIT — FEEDING.      449 


in  direction  to  that  covering  other  parts  of  the  animal's  skin.  This 
hair  differs  from  all  the  rest  in  color,  and  is  fine,  soft  and  close. 
The  scutcheon  springs  from  the  middle  of  the  four  teats,  whence  a 
portion  of  its  hair  springs  and  extends  toward  the  navel ;  whereas 
the  other  part  rises  toward  the  inner  and  upper  part  of  the  hocks  to 
the  middle  of  the  posterior  surface  of  the  thighs,  then,  rising  over 
the  udder  on  the  perineum,  it  extends  in  some  classes  to  the  upper 
angle  of  the  vulva. 

The  surface  or  extent  of  the  scutcheon  denotes  the  milking 
capacity ;  its  form  and  outline  indicate  the  class  ;  the  fineness  of  the 
hair  and  the  color  of  the  epidermis  the  quality  of  the  milk.  For  the 
most  part,  it  is  very  easy  to  distinguish  the  scutcheons  by  the  up- 
ward direction  of  the  hair  which  forms  them.  They  are  even  some- 
times surrounded  by  a  line  of  bristly  hair,  turned  backward,  and 
formed  by  the  meeting  of  the  upward  and  downward  hair.  In  some 
cases  animals  thus  marked  are  to  be  avoided  as  being  bastards. 

It  is  just  as  important  that  the  bull  should  have  as  good  a  scutch- 
eon as  the  cow,  as  the  qualities  of  the  mother  inherited  by  her  son 
will  be  transmitted  to  her  daughters ;  and  for  this  reason  also  is  it 
very  necessaiy  that  the  bull  shall  have  a  good  parentage. 

HOW  TO   MAINTAIN  THE  COW   IN   PROFIT. 

With  a  good  selection  made  there  will  necessarily  follow  the  ques- 
tion, How  to  maintain  her  in  good  condition  for  profit  ?  It  must  be 
apparent  to  every  thinking  person  that  good  qualities,  even  in  the 
highest  perfection,  will  not  ensure  an  abundant  and  rich  supply  of 
milk  unless  proper  care  is  taken  to  furnish  the  cow  with  the  kind 
of  food  best  calculated  for  the  required  purpose. 

THE  ART  OF   FEEDING. 

The  first  requisite  is,  that  the  animal  should  have  abundance  of 
food,  so  as  to  be  able  to  consume  all  that  she  requires  in  as  short 
time  as  possible,  as  then  she  will  lie  down  and  have  the  more  time 
to  secrete  her  milk,  and  that  milk  acquire  richness.  In  short,  she 
must  not  have  to  work  too  hard  for  her  living.  The  pasture  should 
be  often  changed,  and  if  not  in  pasture  the  food  should  be  succu- 
lent, otherwise  fat  instead  of  milk  will  be  produced ;  but  cows  fed 
with  food  of  too  watery  a  nature,  which  is  the  case  with  roots  early 
in  the  season,  require  an  addition  of  more  solid  food,  such  as  meal 
or  good  clover  chaff,  otherwise  the  milk,  although  considerable  in 
quantity,  will  be  poor  and  wheyey,  yielding  no  cream.  Such  roots 
should  be  carefully  selected  as  have  no  symptoms  of  decay,  and 
should  be  mild  in  flavor,  or  the  butter  will  be  tainted.  In  very  cold 
weather,  and  as  a  change  of  food,  use  oil-cake  and  ground  oats, 


450  THE   MANAGEMENT   OF   COWS. 


Steamed  or  boiled.     The  best  roots  are  carrots,  yellow  turnips  and 
mangold-wurzel,  succeeding  each  other. 

The  cow  and  the  horse  can  well  pasture  together,  but  no  other 
animal  should  be  allowed  in  the  same  field,  pigs  and  poultry  spoil- 
ing and  tainting  the  feed.  The  pasture  must  be  kept  clean  from 
weeds  and  all  refuse  matter.  It  must  be  supplied  with  an  abundance 
of  pure  water  and  be  free  from  all  standing  water.  Cows  should 
be  taken  in  about  sunset,  or  before  they  are  preparing  to  rest  for  the 
the  night,  'and  should  not  be  hurried  to  or  from  pasture,  especially 
when  full  of  milk.  Experiments  have  proved  it  is  better  cows 
should  not  remain  out  all  night,  after  August  at  least,  but  be  stabled 
in  an  open,  airy  shed. 

Cows  should  always  in  winter  be  well  fed,  regularly  fed,  and  with 
sufficient  food  of  the  right  kind.  Regular  curr>ang  is  of  the  great- 
est utility,  as  it  keeps  the  pores  open  and  promotes  the  circulation. 
Feed  twice  a  day  as  much  as  they  will  eat  of  timothy  and  clover 
hay  mixed,  with  two  quarts  of  Indian  meal  unbolted,  four  quarts  of 
wheat  bran,  and  half  a  peck  or  a  peck  of  carrots  or  sugar-beets,  to 
each.  Turnips  may  be  fed  to  dry  cows,  but  for  milking  cows  they  give 
a  taste  to  the  milk  and  butter.  Corn-fodder  is  excellent  as  an  addi- 
tion, but  if  fed  by  itself  will  give  an  unpleasant  taste  to  both  milk 
and  butter.  Steamed  or  cooked  food  is  now  much  used,  and  to 
great  advantage,  but  we  doubt  if  it  pays  where  but  few  are  kept ; 
cows  will  eagerly  drink  the  hay-tea  that  is  left  after  steaming  the 
hay.  Potatoes,"  raw  or  cooked,  are  excellent  food,  and  thus  the 
small  ones  come  into  play.  In  summer-time  or  early  fall,  if  the 
pasture  is  short,  fresh  corn-fodder  helps  the  milking-qualities  won- 
derfully, and  we  are  glad  to  see  it  is  much  more  raised  than  for- 
merly. The  earlier  it  is  grown  and  the  earlier  it  is  fed,  the  more  it 
will  help  the  milking-qualities.  A  piece  of  rock-salt  should  always 
be  where  the  cows  can  find  it 

THE   MANAGEMENT   OF  THE  COW. 

The  proper  management  of  milking  cows  is  no  less  important 
than  proper  food. 

It  should  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  animal  whose  capa- 
bilities are  for  milking  becomes  lean  on  the  same  quantity  of  food 
as  will  make  the  feeding  cattle  fat.  The  consequence  of  this  is  that 
the  milking  (and  therefore  lean)  cow  is  more  affected  by  changes 
of  temperature  than  the  feeding  or  fat  one.  Therefore,  for  success- 
fully maintaining  her  in  profit  care  should  be  taken  to  avoid  rapid 
and  considerable  changes  of  temperature,  as  well  as  damp  or  clay 
land.    There  should  always  be  a  clean,  dry  shed  in  which  the  cattle 


THE   ART   OF   MILKING.  ,      451 

may  take  shelter  whenever  they  feel  uncomfortable  either  from  heat 
and  flies  or  cold  and  damp.  This  shed  should  be  well  drained  and 
opening  to  a  warm  aspect. 

An  animal  always  cold  is  always  uncomfortable,  and  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  food  she  takes  is  consumed  in  keeping  up  the  heat 
of  the  body  instead  of  making  milk ;  warmth  is  therefore  food  to 
the  cow,  and  may  be  obtained  with  little  cost  and  less  trouble  than 
some  other  food.  Cold  and  sudden  chills  are  a  great  detriment  to 
the  appearance  of  the  cow,  and  are  frequently  the  cause  of  her 
falling  off  in  her  milk  so  early  in  the  season.  So  it  is  in  turning 
cows  out  too  early  in  the  season  ;  much  injury  is  done  by  exchang- 
ing them  from  a  warm  yard  or  shed  to  pass  the  night  in  the  open 
air  before  the  season  is  sufficiently  advanced. 

In  proportion  as  the  breed  of  cattle  has  improved,  so  has  the  ne- 
cessity of  care  increased.  It  is  a  question  of  economy  whether 
it  is  not  best  to  bring  cows  in  at  night  all  through  the  year,  for  they 
spoil  much  grass,  and  are  not  benefited  by  being  in  the  dewy  grass 
too  early  in  the  morning ;  and  the  manure  would  be  in  the  yard, 
where  it  is  valuable,  instead  of  under  the  fences,  where  the  cattle 
would  naturally  lie  for  protection. 

Perfect  cleanliness  in  every  part  of  the  cow-house  is  of  essential 
importance ;  the  stalls  should  be  kept  clean,  the  walls  free  from 
cobwebs  and  dust,  and  the  mangers  clean  also.  Much  of  the  ben- 
efit of  good  food  is  lost  by  giving  it  badly  prepared  or  in  uncleanly 
boxes.  The  importance  of  ventilation  is  very  great,  but  its  benefits 
will  be  in  a  measure  lost  if  the  interior  of  the  house  is  not  kept 
clean,-  Another  point  to  be  attended  to  is  the  bedding  and  littering 
of  cows ;  in  many  cases  this  is  grossly  neglected,  the  animals  being 
kept  in  a  very  uncomfortable  condition.  The  long  straw  as  gene- 
rally used  is  not  economical ;  it  is  most  efficient  if  cut  with  the 
straw-cutter.  Less  straw  is  required  in  this  form  than  if  used  long, 
and  it  not  only  admits  of  the  droppings  being  hfted  easily  away 
without  disturbing  the  rest  of  the  bedding,  but  it  is  in  the  best  con- 
dition for  the  manure-heap.  Sawdust  also  forms  an  excellent  bed- 
ding, as  do  chaff,  leaves,  etc. 

THE  ART   OF   MILKING. 

Another  matter  to  be  attended  to,  to  keep  the  cow  in  profit,  is  to 
see  that  she  is  milked  properly.  As  a  general  principle,  cows 
should  be  milked  twice  a  day,  and  the  time  should  be  regular,  say 
at  six  in  the  morning  and  six  in  the  evening  all  the  year  round.  If 
after  calving,  in  the  early  state  of  milk,  it  should  be  found  that  the 
bag  becomes  too  full  from  extreme  heat  or  other  cause,  it  will  be 


452  POINTS  IN  cows. 


advisable  to  reduce  the  bag  in  the  middle  of  the  day ;  but  some 
judgment  is  necessary  in  putting  this  into  practice,  as  too  great 
eagerness  in  relieving  the  bag  may  have  an  injurious  effect  by 
weakening  the  power  of  retention.  Before  and  during  the  time  of 
milking  the  cow  should  have  some  good  hay  or  meal.  It  is  bene- 
ficial in  two  ways :  it  is  a  wholesome  stay  to  the  stomach  ;  it  en- 
grosses the  attention  of  the  animal  and  keeps  it  quiet  during  the 
operation ;  it  helps  to  sustain  the  stomach  of  a  large  yieider, 
drained  by  the  flow  of  milk,  and  needing  extra  sustenance  for  the 
growth  of  the  unborn  calf.  This  should  be  done  even  during  pas- 
ture-time, say  a  quart  of  good  bran  at  each  milking ;  and  if  fed  to 
them  under  a  shed  in  the  field,  where  they  could  be  fastened  in 
stanchions,  it  saves  all  necessity  for  driving  the  cows,  it  keeps  them 
quiet,  and  saves  the  time  and  temper  of  the  milkers  in  fly-time,  and 
surely  increases  the  yield  and  easy  flow. 

The  hands  should  be  dry  and  clean ;  wet  hands  chap  the  teats 
in  cold  weather,  and  want  of  cleanliness  produces  warts.  The  last 
milk  withdrawn  is  richer  for  the  production  of  butter — one  pint 
than  two  quarts  of  milk  first  drawn  off.  Imperfect  milking  will 
also  dry  the  cow  much  earlier  than  if  properly  milked,  and  tend  to 
decrease  the  quantity.  A  few  days  prior  to  calving,  should  the 
bag  be  much  distended,  it  should  be  thoroughly  relieved. 

Whatever  may  be  the  cause  of  the  restlessness  of  the  cow  during 
milking,  gentleness  is  the  only  treatment  that  should  be  allowed.  A 
young  animal  never  forgets  ill-treatment,  and  will  withhold  her  milk. 

We  have  thus  endeavored  to  gather  the  experience  of  those  who 
have  made  the  nature  and  management  of  cows  a  lifelong  study ; 
and  if  we  have  presented  nothing  new  to  experienced  farmers, 
our  object  will  be  gained  if  they  will  only  put  into  practice  what 
they  know  already,  and  not  treat  cows  with  indifferent  care,  and 
expect  the  same  rich  returns  from  their  investment  as  if  they  were 
properly  cared  for.  -  Remember  that  all  nature  is  alike,  subject  to 
the  same  natural  laws,  and  none  of  these  can  be  violated  without 
paying  a  penalty.  Get  a  good  cow  of  the  best  breed  for  your  pur- 
pose ;  not  only  select  it  with  care,  but  keep  it  in  good  condition  for 
profit,  and  in  the  long  run  it  will  pay  you  better  than  if  neglected. 
We  have  a  subject  not  only  of  great  interest  to  all  of  us,  but  as 
much  might  be  properly  said  upon  each  one  of  the  topics  treated 
as  has  been  said  upon  them  all  combined. 

POINTS  IN  cows. 
Points  in  stock  are  the  badges  of  purity.    What  are  known  as 
•'points"  are  certain  conformations,  outlines  of  shapes  and  marks 


POINTS    IN    COWS.  453 


of  color  which  specify  that  the  animal  possessing  them  is  truly  and 
distinctly  a  member  of  the  class  demanding  the  specifications  pos- 
sessed. The  average  farmer  gives  but  little  attention  to  the  finer 
points,  but  with  his  experience  and  habit  of  association  judges  very 
critically  at  times.  While  farmers  are  seemingly  anxious  to  improve, 
they  endeavor  to  do  so  without  knowing  in  which  direction  to  ben- 
efit themselves.  Nearly  every  farmer  claims  to  be  an  expert  at  se- 
lecting milch  cows,  yet  in  breeding  his  stock  he  does  not  consider 
first  what  he  is  to  breed  for.  Does  he  stop  to  consider  whether  he 
wishes  the  offspring  of  his  favorite  cow  to  be  a  superior  milker  or 
a  great  butter-producer  ?  The  influence  of  the  sire  is  to  be  consid- 
ered above  all  others  in  such  a  matter.  Jersey  bulls  are  scattered 
far  and  wide  now,  and  are  within  the  reach  of  all,  and  yet  the 
dairyman  who  sends  his  milk  to  market,  and  cares  not  to  make 
butter,  is  foolish  in  patronizing  Jersey  bulls.  The  Jerseys  are  for 
butter-producing  only,  and  are  not  heavy  milkers.  The  milk  such 
cows  give  is  very  rich  ;  it  is  almost  pure  cream ;  but  it  does  not 
come  up  in  quantity.  The  farmer  who  desires  large  yields  of  milk 
from  cows  should  seek  to  have  transmitted  to  his  young  stock  the 
blood  of  the  Holstein  or  Ayrshire  ;  for,  although  the  milk  from 
cows  of  these  breeds  is  not  as  rich  in  quantity  as  that  from  the 
Jerseys  or  Guernseys,  it  greatly  excels  them  in  quality.  Thus, 
those  farmers  living  within  reach  of  cheese-factories  can  best  pro- 
mote their  interests  by  selecting  Holsteins  or  Ayrshires  for  improv- 
ing their  stock,  while  those  who  send  butter  to  market  should  have 
nothing  but  the  butter-producers. 

A  great  milker  shows  her  qualities  in  her  looks  and  make-up. 
The  eyes  and  hair  also  give  good  indications.  The  first  point 
for  a  farmer's  observation,  and  the  principal  one,  is  to  observe  that 
she  does  not  show  a  tendency  to  become  "beefy"  or  rounding,  with 
points  that  denote  good  fattening  qualities.  A  first-class  cow  does 
not  get  fat  as  a  rule,  but  is  rather  bony  and  ugly-looking.  The 
shape  of  the  Jersey  should  be  deer-like,  with  a  large,  mild-looking 
eye  and  soft  feeling  of  hide  to  the  touch.  The  udder  should  be 
full,  reaching  far  up  at  the  rear.  One  of  the  most  prominent  points 
is  the  large  milk-ducts  (sometimes  as  large  as  a  person's  arm)  run- 
ning from  the  udder  to  the  middle  of  the  stomach.  They  are  sure 
indications  of  good  milking-qualities.  Jerseys  have  black  nozzles 
and  tongues,  the  udder  being  usually  smoother  than  in  other  breeds, 
and  velvet-like  when  examined  by  touch.  The  Holsteins  are  a 
very  large  breed  of  cows,  equalling  the  Shorthorns  in  size,  but 
largely  excelling  them  in  milking-qualities.  The  young  male 
calves  from  such  cows  can  be  kept  with  profit,  as  the  Holsteins, 


454  STALL-FEEDING    CATTLE. 


when  fed  for  the  purpose,  make  not  only  go®d  beef,  but  equal  to 
the  best.  Oxen  from  this  stock  are  nearly  equal  to  the  Devons. 
Their  color  is  usually  black  and  white. 

But  in  endeavoring  to  breed  for  milk  it  should  not  be  forgotten 
that  all  the  excellent  characteristics  are  rarely  found  in  a  single 
breed.  Thus  we  must  not  expect  to  find  good  milkers  among  the 
Shorthorns,  nor  have  choice  beef  from  the  milch  cows.  A  cow 
cannot  make  milk  and  beef  at  the  same  time.  If  her  tendencies 
are  toward  milk,  she  will  be  hard  to  fatten  ;  if  she  keeps  extra  fat, 
it  means  that  she  is  a  better  flesh-former  than  milk-producer.  A 
great  deal  depends  on  the  feed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  but  the 
breed  must  first  be  taken  into  consideration  if  an  increase  in  the 
herd  is  contemplated. 

Now,  no  matter  in  how  many  points  the  farmer's  experience  and 
judgment  may  serve  him,  there  are  some  animals  that  will  fail  in 
their  milk  when  pregnant,  and  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  distin- 
guish them.  They  are  generally  the  plumpest,  roundest  and  most 
attractive-looking  cows,  and  should  be  avoided,  because  they  are 
not  profitable.  By  the  marks  on  them  which  Guenon  has  pointed 
out  they  may  be  avoided.  It  is  rather  difficult  to  describe  these 
points  without  the  engravings,  but  they  will  be  found  delineated 
and  described  in  How  to  Select  Cows,  sent  by  mail  by  the  pub- 
lisher of  this  volume  upon  receipt  of  fifty  cents. 


STALL-FEEDING  CATTLE. 


Breeders  differ  on  this  important  subject.  A  good  way  is  to 
give  turnips  in  the  morning,  followed  by  hay,  chopped  stuff,  at 
noon ;  then  some  hay  again ;  turnips  in  the  evening,  followed  by 
hay  to  last  through  the  night.  Exercise  a  litde  daily,  affording  the 
animals  an  opportunity  to  drink  when  out  for  exercise.  In  the 
Ontario  Agricultural  College  at  Guelph,  Canada,  the  following  is 
the  time-table  adopted  for  feeding  stalled  catde  in  order  to  fatten  as 
rapidly  as  possible  :  7  A.  ]\L,  turnips  and  hay ;  8.30  A.  M.,  meal  and 
bran;  11.30  A.M.,  turnips  and  hay;  1.30  p.  M.,  meal  and  bran; 
4  P.  M.,  turnips  and  hay ;  8  p.  M.,  meal  and  bran.  Exercise  for 
about  twenty  minutes  daily,  and  water,  though  they  rarely  drink 
when  fed  turnips  three  times  daily.  The  average  quantity  of  food 
given  is  as  follows  :  sixty  pounds  turnips,  twelve  pounds  hay,  twelve 
pounds  grain,  and  three  of  bran. 


HORSE   POINTS.  455 


HORSE  POINTS. 

It  is  action  in  the  hor^e  that  sells.  This  is  obtained  when  we 
have  the  complemental  power  in  the  muscle,  the  greatest  leverage 
from  the  bones  and  quality  in  the  tendons,  health  in  the  ligaments, 
and  truth  in  the  disposition  of  the  limbs.  We  adjudicate  on  the 
horse's  hind  quarters  as  a  whole.  All  horses  with  any  pretensions 
to  quality  or  family  possess  length  and  straightness  from  the  hip  to 
the  tail.  This  is  especially  graceful  and  horizontal  in  the  thorough- 
bred. 

1.  Length  from  hip  to  hock  is  the  criterion  both  of  speed  and 
power.  All  horses  of  value  are  "well  let  down  "  in  their  quarters, 
affording  increase  of  length  and  volume  in  the  muscles,  power  and 
speed  accruing.  The  haunch-bone  and  thigh-bone — the  first  strong 
and  long,  the  second  strong,  of  average  length.  This  naturally 
varies  with  breed,  but  in  all  classes  it  is  most  important  that  the 
thigh  "be  well  let  down  into  the  hock."  Muscular  development 
here  cannot  be  too  "immense."  Good  gaskins  afford  material  help 
for  getting  through  the  dirt. 

2.  At  the  articulation  of  the  haunch  and  thigh-bone  we  find  the 
stifle  in  situ.  A  good  one,  without  exception,  is  high  up,  abutting 
the  flank.  This  is  the  concentration  of  power  in  all  classes  ;  it  is  a 
certain  sign  that  the  haunch-bone  is  well  sloped  forward,  and  that 
the  thigh-bone  is  well  carried  back. 

3.  The  hock  we  have  previously  determined  on,  but  as  to  the 
fore  legs  I  counsel  young  beginners  to  avoid  weak,  ill-defined 
knees.  So  also  have  as  little  to  do  with  horses  whose  os  calcis,  or 
point  of  the  hock,  is  ill  defined.  Remember  puff  and  gum  are 
weakness.  The  os  calcis  contributes  leverage ;  it  is  evidence  both 
of  power  and  speed. 

The  hind  cannons,  or  metatarsal  bones,  must  individually  be 
straight,  with  just  a  soupgon  of  inclination  forward.  They  should 
be  flat  and  short.  Breadth  under  the  hock  here  is  strength,  the 
sign  of  quality.  Feel  tendons  along  their  course,  that  the  legs,  as 
in  the  fore,  are  clean  in  the  tendons  (broad  and  flat) ;  the  sesa- 
moid bones,  at  the  upper  portion  of  the  fetlock-joints,  well  pro- 
nounced. 

How  should  I  feed  oats  to  my  horses  ? 

Boiled  oats  are  best  for  very  young  or  very  old  horses,  on  ac- 
count of  their  immature  or  defective  teeth  ;  but  for  mature  horses 
at  hard  work  feed  dry  oats.    Soft  feed  induces  perspiration. 


456 


HORSE    POINTS. 


BLANKETING. 

Should  I  cover  my  horse  at  once  when  I  bring  him  into  the  stable  in 
a  heated  condition,  or  let  him  cool  down  before  I  put  on  the  blanket  ? 

Do  neither.  A  half  hour  before  your  arrival  at  the  stable  work 
him  slowly,  and  let  him  cool  down  on  the  road.  But  if  he  does 
arrive  in  a  heated  condition,  throw  an  old  blanket  over  him  and 
walk  him  till  he  cools  down.  Then  rub  him  down  till  very  dr}% 
and  when  quite  cool  put  on  his  blanket,  and  water  and  feed  him. 

WORMS. 

A  horse  troubled  with  worms  will  become  very  thin,  no  matter 
how  well  fed — will  have  a  desire  to  rub  his  tail  on  ever^'thing  pos- 
sible, and  dung  after,  a  little  at  a  time.  So  get  rid  of  them,  and 
improve  the  condition  of  the  animal.  Prepare  by  giving  a  drachm 
dose  of  tartar  emetic  morning  and  night  in  bran  mash.  Give 
neither  hay  nor  oats  for  three  days ;  at  the  end  of  that  time  ad- 
minister one  quart  of  raw  hnseed  oil  and  two  ounces  of  spirits  of 
turpentine,  mixed.  Give  the  dose  on  an  empt}^  stomach,  and  ex- 
ercise that  day  and  the  following  morning  ;  after  which  purgation 
will  ensue  ;  after  which  feed  as  usual. 

INTERFERING. 

This  is  best  treated  by  getting  the  animal  into  a  healthy  condi- 
tion, as  the  trouble  in  very  many  cases  is  due  to  weakness  of  the 
system ;  at  the  same  time  proper  shoeing  should  be  attended  to. 

HEAVES. 

What  is  the  best  treatment  for  heaves  ? 

It  is  rarely  cured,  but  with  care  may  be  greatly  relieved.  The 
food  should  be  carefully  regulated,  so  that  the  horse  is  not  allowed 
to  engorge  himself  either  with  hay  or  straw.  The  hay  should  be 
clean  and  free  from  dust.  At  the  same  time  procure  half  a  dozen 
powders  from  your  druggist,  each  composed  of  powdered  opium 
one  drachm,  and  acetate  of  lead  half  a  drachm ;  one  powder  to 
be  given  daily  in  his  feed,  or,  if  he  refuse  to  eat  the  powders,  ad- 
minister in  a  httle  water. 

Proper  Ages  of  Reproduction  (1),  Length  of  Power  of  Reproduction  (2),  and  Periods  of 
Gestation  (3)  in  Domestic  Animals. 


1. 

2. 

'• 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Short- 
est. 

Mean. 

Long- 
est. 

Short- 
est. 

Mean. 

Long- 
est. 

Horse.... 

Mare 

Cow 

BnU 

Sow 

Boar 

Ewe- 

Earn 

Trs. 

4 
3 

1 

2 

Tears. 

12  to  15 

10  to  12 

10 

5 

6 

6 

6 

7 

Days. 

287 
240 

109 

146 

Days. 

847 
283 

115 

154; 

Days. 
419 

sa 

143 
161 

Jac&asB.. 

lAss 

Goat 

Isiut 

Dog 

Cat 

"  female 

Years. 

4 
2 
2 

1 

Years. 
12tol5 
10  to  12 
5to  6 

8  to   9 
8to   9 

9  to  10 
5to  6 

Days. 

365 
150 
55 

48 

Days. 

880 
156 
60 

50 

Days. 

391 
163 
63 

56 

THE  FOLLOWING  SUGGESTIONS  WILL  BE  FOUND 
OF  VALUE  IN 

THE  SANITARY  MAMMEUT  OF  LIVE  STOCI 

Horses. — Give  horses  daily  exercise,  either  by  turning  them  loose 
in  a  yard  for  a  few  hours  or  by  driving  them  in  the  harness.  Mares 
with  foal  should  be  handled  with  great  care,  and  if  there  is  much 
snow  and  ice  they  should  be  sharp-shod  to  prevent  their  slipping' 
down,  which  would  be  very  liable  to  cause  slinking.  Feed  breed- 
ing mares  a  pint  of  unbolted  wheat  flour  daily  in  connection  with 
their  other  food,  as  a  small  quantity  of  wheat  flour  is  more  highly 
esteemed  than  any  other  meal  by  experienced  horse-breeders  for 
developing  the  growing  foetus. 

—  Keep  brood  mares  in  loose  boxes  ten  feet  square,  and  when 
possible  give  each  one  a  sunny  yard  to  go  to  at  pleasure  in  all 
weathers,  when  it  is  not  too  slippery. 

—  A  few  carrots  with  their  grain  will  aid  digestion  and  appetite, 
and  improve  their  coats.  Train  colts  so  that  no  breaking  will  be 
needed,  either  of  spirit  or  of  harness.  Keep  working  and  carriage 
horses  sharp-shod,  well  groomed,  and  blanketed  when  standing 
out  or  in  cold  stables  after  exercise.  Ventilate  stables,  and  abolish 
high  feeding-racks. 

—  While  they  are  shedding  their  coats  the  skin  makes  heavy  de- 
mands on  the  organs  of  nutrition  ;  it  is  peculiarly  sensitive  to  cold, 
to  wet  and  drafts,  and  horses  are  liable  to  take  cold.  They  should, 
therefore,  be  well  fed  and  groomed,  and  blanketed  when  exposed, 
quite  as  well  as  in  midwinter.  Be  careful  about  letting  horses  that 
are  shod  get  loose  in  the  lots  together.  They  are  playful,  and  in 
their  play  often  kick  one  another  severely.  Horses  intended  for  the 
market  should  never  be  used  before  the  plow  nor  for  hard  labor. 
Neither  should  those  used  for  fast  work  on  the  road,  nor  showy  car- 
riage horses  ;  it  makes  them  stiff  and  awkward,  and  will  seriously 
affect  their  value. 

—  Look  to  having  well-fitting  harness ;  sponge  the  shoulders, 
legs  and  feet  of  hard-working  horses  nights  and  mornings. 

Cows. — Dry  off  six  to  four  weeks  before  calving.  Give  generous 
feed  of  hay  and  oats,  but  not  much  grain.  Cut  hay  or  straw 
steamed,  and  a  little  bran  or  meal  added,  is  profitable.  Keep  the 
skin  healthy  by  frequent  carding  and  brushing.  Those  about  to 
calve  should  be  turned  loose  into  separate,  roomy  stalls.  Watch 
their  time  to  give  assistance  if  needed,  but  do  not  interfere  unless 
absolutely  necessary,  and  then  use  gentle  means.  Allow  the  calf 
to  have  the  milk  for  a  day  or  two.     Its  effect  is  medicinal  and  ne- 

457 


458  LIVE-STOCK. 


cessary  to  the  new-born  animal.  After  calving  give  the  cow  a 
warm  bran  mash  made  with  scalding  water,  and  afterward  her  or- 
dinary feed,  increasing  the  amount  of  roots  and  grain  to  promote 
the  flow  of  milk  and  prevent  the  exhaustion  of  the  animal. 

Cows  which  are  giving  milk  must  have  an  increase  of  feed. 

Mangolds  or  sugar  beets  are  best.  Cut  them  in  shces  and  sprinkle 
them  with  bran,  and  feed  half  a  bushel  more  or  less  at  a  time,  after 
the  cows  have  filled  themselves  with  hay  or  corn,  fodder  or  grass. 
Soft  turnips  may  be  fed  to  some  cows  at  milking-time  and  not 
flavor  the  milk.  Keep  up  the  flow  of  milk  if  possible,  especially 
with  young  cows,  by  feeding  meal,  bran  and  roots. 

Cattle. — Cows  that  have  not  yet  calved  should  be  allowed  to 
stand  several  hours  daily  in  large  sunny  yards.  If  the  calves  be 
removed  from  milch  cows  as  soon  as  dropped,  the  cow  is  less  wor- 
ried than  if  they  are  taken  away  after  she  has  become  attached  to 
them.  New  milch  cows  ought  to  have  roots  or  some  green  succu- 
lent feed:  in  winter  and  early  spring  what  is  called  "slops"  sup- 
pHes  the  place  of  more  natural  and  better  things.  April  is  one  of 
the  worst  months  for  caked  bag,  garget,  milk  fever,  etc. ;  watch  for 
the  first  symptoms,  and  check  the  disease  if  possible. 

—  See  that  all  cattle  have  access  to  pure  water.  Where  they 
drink  at  a  pond,  large  poles  or  sticks  of  timber  should  keep  them 
from  going  into  the  water  to  stand,  as  they  usually  dung  immedi- 
ately after  drinking.  Do  not  feed  too  many  animals  on  the  same 
ground.  One  good  cow,  well  fed,  will  yield  more  milk  than  two 
cows  on  short  pasture. 

Calves  dropped  in  February  will  bring  large  prices  in  March. 
If  to  be  raised,  wean  early,  and  feed  well  with  skimmed  milk,  clover 
tea  and  gruel. 

—  Give  calves  a  comfortable  yard  or  pen,  whether  raised  by  hand 
or  the  cow.  Confined  in  close  quarters,  the  floor  beneath  should 
be  cleaned  often  and  littered  abundantly.  It  is  as  cruel  as  unprof- 
itable to  keep  them  tied  in  cold,  filthy  places.  Two  calves  may 
often  be  profitably  raised  on  one  cow.  Always  scald  or  cook  meal 
for  young  calves  before  mingling  it  with  any  kind  of  milk  or  feed, 
as  raw  meal  is  very  liable  to  produce  scours.  Wheat  flour  boiled 
in  milk  checks  scours. 

—  Keep  the  yards  or  pens  dry  and  clean,  and  mow  a  little  grass 
for  them  daily.  Where  calves  are  allowed  to  suck,  put  a  little 
wheat  flour  in  one  end  of  a  small  trough  and  salt  in  the  other  end, 
where  calves  can  reach  it.     They  soon  eat  meal. 

—  See  that  they  have  a  good  supply  of  clean,  fresh  water  during 
the  hot  weather.    Let  them  have  access  also  to  a  tub  containing  salt. 


LIVE-STOCK.  459 


Wean  them  gradually.  It  is  very  injurious  to  withhold  a  full  supply 
of  milk  abruptly,  and  confine  them  to  grass  and  water.  It  often 
stunts  them,  so  that  they  never  recover  from  it. 

Beeves. — Bullocks  or  dry  cows  should  be  confined  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  time  in  close  yards  or  spacious  stalls  well  littered. 
Feed  with  hay,  corn  meal  and  some  pumpkins  or  roots.  Better 
feed  bountifully  and  fatten  rapidly  than  to  give  a  small  allowance 
and  fatten  slowly. 

—  It  is  bad  policy  to  sell  good  cows  for  beef  because  they  com- 
mand a  high  price.     Better  hold  on  to  good  cows  for  breeding, 

—  If  the  weather  be  pleasant,  allow  fattening  bullocks  or  dry 
cows  to  exercise  in  a  small  yard  several  hours  daily.  As  the  warm 
weather  comes  on,  their  thrift  will  be  promoted  by  carding  as  often 
as  once  a  day.  As  soon  as  grass  is  large  enough,  let  them  graze 
about  an  hour  daily ;  then  return  them  to  the  yard,  but  do  not  di- 
minish the  quantity  of  meal.  Beeves  will  fatten  very  fast  if  man- 
aged rightly.  If  meal  be  discontinued,  they  will  not  fatten  much 
till  their  bowels  become  accommodated  to  green  feed. 

—  During  April,  bullocks  three  years  old  should  receive  from 
ten  to  fifteen  pounds  of  fine  corn  meal,  mingled  with  wet  straw 
during  the  day.  Meal  fed  at  this  season  of  the  year  will  prepare 
them  to  lay  on  fat  and  flesh  when  they  are  turned  to  grass.  This  is 
equally  true  of  fattening  sheep  designed  for  early  mutton. 

—  Sheep  should  not  be  confined  in  close  stables,  but,  except 
during  storms,  should  have  the  range  of  a  large  stockyard  or  lot. 
Feed  in  well-constructed  racks  and  feeding-troughs.  Turnips  and 
beets,  fed  freely,  are  very  fattening,  and  more  economical  generally 
than  corn.  Whatever  grain  is  fed  should  be  given  regularly  ;  even 
a  very  small  quantity  is  well,  if  it  can  be  fed  so  that  each  sheep 
shall  get  its  share.  Salt  ought  to  be  kept  constantly  where  the 
sheep  can  get  at  it.  If,  however,  it  has  not  been,  they  must  be 
gradually  accustomed  to  it.  Sheep  need  water  in  winter.  It  is 
much  better  for  them  to  have  access  to  water  which  does  not  freeze. 

—  Exercise  and  fresh  air  are  essential  to  their  health.  Shelters 
must  be  well  ventilated,  not  crowded,  and  the  sheep  turned  out 
daily,  except  in  severe  storms.  Roots,  fed  with  grain,  will  be  re- 
turned in  wool  and  mutton.  Pregnant  ewes  should  have  little,  if 
any,  grain,  but  roots  with  hay.  Those  yeaning  early  will  need  sep- 
arate, clean,  not  over-littered  apartments,  and  careful  attention,  that 
the  lambs  be  not  fatally  chilled. 

—  There  is  no  better  feed  for  young  swine,  horses,  neat  cattle  of 
all  kinds  and  sheep  than  peas  and  oats.  Seed  may  be  obtained 
by  the  barrel  or  sack  of  seed-dealers  in  most  cities  and  large  towns. 


460  LIVE-STOCK. 


Keep  their  yard  dry  and  well  littered,  and  protect  them  from 

cold  and  wet  storms.  Sheep  dislike  wet  yards  and  leaky  roofs  as 
much  as  a  cat  does  a  wet  floor. 

Sheep  bear  more  exposure  than  any  other  of  our  domestic 

animals  (not  even  excepting  horses  not  worked)— that  is,  exposure 
to  the  weather,  but  not  without  shelter  from  storms. 

—  Sheep  frequendy  suffer  greatly  in  August  for  want  of  water.  If 
there  is  no  water  in  their  pasture  lot,  let  them  be  put  at  night  in  a 
lot  where  there  is  water,  or  else  be  driven  to  water  night  and  morn- 
ing ;  allow  them  plenty  of  time  to  drink.  If  the  weather  is  wet  and 
the  grass  long  and  succulent,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  mow  a  portion  of 
it  occasionally.  The  sheep  will  eat  and  thrive  on  the  dried  grass. 
It  is  a  true  saying  that  "sheep  like  roast  meat  better  than  boiled." 
Lambs  should  be  weaned  in  August.  Let  them  have  the  best  of 
pasture  after  weaning,  and  place  the  ewes  on  poor  pastures  until 
dry.  Examine  the  bags  for  a  few  days,  and,  if  necessary,  draw  out 
the  milk.  When  dry,  and  if  early  lambs  are  desired  next  spring, 
the  ewes  toward  the  latter  end  of  the  month  should  begin  to  have 
abundance  of  good  food.  Strong,  healthy  lambs  can  only  be  ex- 
pected from  ewes  in  good  condition.  Sheep  intended  to  be  fattened 
next  winter  should  be  purchased  in  August  and  placed  in  good  pas- 
ture. In  the  case  of  Merinoes  select  strong,  thrifty  wethers  three  or 
four  years  old.  There  is  no  money  to  be  made  in  fattening  poor 
sheep  in  winter. 

—  Separate  all  feeble  ones  from  the  main  flock,  so  that  every  one 
may  receive  a  little  grain  and  roots  daily  in  connection  with  other 
food. 

—  Sheep,  if  fed  liberally  and  managed  carefully,  are  most  profit- 
able stock.  The  better  we  do  for  them,  the  better  they  will  do  for 
us;  badly  managed,  they  are  likely  to  prove  a  failure. 

—  Feeding  sheep  for  market  is  a  profitable  business  for  those  who 
have  judgment  to  buy  well,  to  feed  well  and  to  sell  well.  Two 
profits  can  easily  be  made  :  a  big  manure  heap  and  good  pay  for 
feed  and  care  will  be  returned  to  the  skillful  feeder. 

—  Apply  a  litde  pine  tar  to  their  noses  to  repel  the  fly.  Separate 
bucks  from  ewes,  or  fetter  their  fore  legs  about  five  or  six  inches 
apart,  that  they  may  be  impotent  to  harm.  Designate  the  age  and 
character  of  each  sheep  by  significant  marks  on  the  rumps  or 
shoulders.  A  figure  (i,  2  or  3,  etc.)  on  the  shoulder  may  signify  a 
ewe  and  her  age,  and  one  on  the  rump  a  wether  and  his  age. 

—  Make  timely  and  suitable  preparations  for  protecting  all  kinds 
of  sheep  from  the  cold  storms  of  rain  and  snow,  which  are  usually 
called  "  May  Iamb-killers."     If  sheep  have  been  turned  to  grass, 


LIVE-STOCK.  461 


they  ought  to  be  allowed  access  to  a  good  shed  during  most  of  the 
time  while  such  storms  prevail.  Also,  to  prevent  scours,  caused  by- 
changing  from  dry  feed  to  grass,  let  them  have  only  a  small  quan- 
tity of  grass  daily  for  several  days  at  the  close  of  the  foddering  sea- 
son.    Shear  early,  and  without  washing. 

—  A  run  in  a  field  from  which  early  roots  have  been  gathered 
will  be  beneficial  to  the  flock.  It  will  help  to  accustom  them  to 
the  change  of  food  which  will  soon  be  required.  Small  or  imper- 
fect roots  may  be  left  ungathered  for  them,  which  they  will  pick 
up  for  themselves.  Where  early  lambs  are  not  desired,  the  rams 
should  be  kept  separate  from  the  ewes,  or,  if  it  is  not  convenient, 
the  ram  may  be  aproned  or  "  bratted." 

—  December  is  the  most  important  month  in  the  year,  in  this  lati- 
tude, to  effect  anything  in  improving  sheep.  Good  protection  from 
storms  and  regular  feeding  are  most  important.  It  is  better  to  com- 
mence feeding  lambs  and  all  kinds  of  sheep  a  little  grain  daily  in 
December  than  to  wait  until  they  begin  to  lose  flesh. 

Lai7ibs. — The  ewes  should  be  coupled  in  October  for  March 
Iambs.  The  best  ewe  is  a  common-grade  Merino  or  native  sheep. 
For  the  earliest,  those  which  come  from  Ohio  or  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, weighing  about  ninety  to  one  hundred  pounds,  are  excellent 
for  this  purpose.  A  pure  South-Down  ram,  and  next  a  Hampshire- 
Down,  and  next  a  Cotswold,  is  the  best  animal  to  cross  upon  these. 
A  plump,  fat  lamb  of  moderate  size  will  bring  more  than  a  "scraw- 
ney  "one  half  as  big  again.  The  black  face  and  legs  of  the  "Down" 
breeds  are  desirable  in  market  lambs. 

Oxen. — Feed  workers  a  few  quarts  of  meal  every  day,  whether 
they  labor  or  not,  as  it  will  give  them  strength,  make  them  endure 
the  heat  better,  and  increase  their  market  value  more  than  the  worth 
of  the  meal.  Provide  teamsters  with  a  soft  leather  lash  and  lipiber 
Stock,  with  which  they  cannot  strike  a  hard  blow. 

—  Feed  in  accordance  with  the  labor  demanded  of  them,  but  on 
no  account  let  them  fall  off  in  flesh.  Oxen  low  in  flesh  are  more 
liable  to  meet  with  accidents  than  others,  and  if  a  poor  lousy  steer 
breaks  a  leg,  nobody  wants  the  beef,  and  it  is  not  fit  to  eat ;  not  so 
with  one  in  good  condition.  Young  cattle  ought  not  to  be  pamper- 
ed, but  well  fed  and  kept  in  growing  order. 

Working  Oxe7i. — See  that  the  yokes  are  right,  and  bows  are  not 
so  short  as  to  choke  them.  Feed  working  cattle  well  and  handle 
them  carefully,  and  they  will  grow  fat  every  day,  and  be  worth  more 
for  beef  next  summer  than  they  may  be  bought  for  now.  Oxen 
will  endure  the  heat  nearly  as  well  as  horses  if  fed  as  well  and  not 
abused  and  worried  by  bad  driving.    Always  allow  them  at  least 


462  LIVE-STOCK. 


two  hours  during  the  middle  of  the  day  for  rest  and  chewing  the 
cud — time  for  which  is  quite  as  necessary  as  time  to  feed. 

—  Keep  them  in  sheltered  sheds,  or  better  in  good  warm  stables, 
well  fed  and  carded  frequently.  Poor  oxen  or  young  cattle  are  a 
disgrace  to  any  farmer.    Do  not  neglect  shoeing  in  freezing  weather. 

Swine. — The  quantity  of  manure  which  a  few  hogs  will  make, 
if  plenty  of  muck  and  litter  be  thrown  from  time  to  time  into  their 
pen  and  the  whole  be  kept  under  cover,  is  very  great. 

—  Separate  sows  that  will  farrow  from  other  swine.  Allow 
breeding  sows,  before  and  after  farrowing,  potatoes  or  other  succu- 
lent food,  with  bran  or  linseed  meal.  At  least  two  weeks  before 
their  time  for  farrowing  give  them  clean,  well-littered  sties,  but  not 
straw  enough  to  endanger  the  young  by  overlaying  of  the  mother. 
A  projecting  shelf,  eight  inches  high,  on  the  sides  of  the  pen,  will 
allow  the  pigs  to  escape  much  danger  from  this  source. 

—  Do  not  feed  too  high  before  the  young  pigs  are  ten  days  old. 

—  Pigs  designed  for  pork  next  fall  should  be  separated  from  the 
sows  as  soon  as  they  will  eat  readily.  Keep  them  in  moderately 
close  quarters,  as,  when  running  about  in  large  enclosures,  they 
will  expend  a  great  deal  of  material  without  adding  proportionately 
to  their  growth.  There  is  nothing  better  than  milk,  oat  and  barley 
meal  and  wheat  flour  unbolted  to  make  a  pig  grow.  It  is  some- 
times more  economical  to  feed  wheat  flour  than  oat  meal  to  pigs. 

—  As  soon  as  green  peas  are  fit  to  feed,  let  the  swine  have  a 
good  supply.  Keep  shoats  in  a  thriving  condition.  When  they 
are  confined  in  close  quarters,  mow  an  armful  of  red  clover  for 
them  once  or  twice  a  day.  Where  whey  is  fed,  it  will  make  much 
better  swill  to  mingle  meal  or  shorts  with  it,  and  allow  fermenta- 
tion to  commence  before  feeding.  Swine  of  all  kinds  Hke  clean 
and  pure  water,  as  well  as  any  other  animals  ;  and  if  they  could  al- 
ways have  access  to  it,  they  would  not  probably  "  wallow  in  the  mire." 

—  Keep  no  pig  over  a  year  old  for  fattening  if  the  most  profit  is 
looked  for. 

—  Low  prices  causes  farmer  to  neglect  their  pigs.  It  is  poor 
policy.  If  kept  at  all,  they  should  be  kept  well.  Let  them  search 
for  their  food,  run  on  the  stubbles,  pick  up  wormy  fruit  in  the  or- 
chard, and  eat  weeds  and  grass.  At  night  they  have  a  feed  of 
soaked  corn,  and  go  to  sleep  contentedly  with  a  full  stomach.  They 
should  have  constant  access  to  fresh  water,  and  an  external  appU- 
cation  will  be  gratefully  received. 

Dogs. — Unite  with  your  neighbors  in  urging  your  representatives 
in  the  Legislature  to  protect  sheep-raising  from  the  ravages  of  de- 
structive curs  by  strong  laws. 


DAIRY. POULTRY.  463 


Dairy. — Look  out  for  improvements  in  selecting  cows  for  the 
dairy  as  well  as  making  butter  and  cheese.  Read  How  to  Select 
Cows.     Make  a  horse,  dog  or  sheep  do  the  churning. 

Butter. — Give  cows  an  abundance  of  sweet  grass  and  clean  water, 
and  access  to  salt ;  see  that  boys  and  dogs  do  not  worry  them  ;  milk 
regularly  with  clean  hands ;  keep  milk  in  clean  and  sweet  vessels, 
and  in  a  cool,  pure  apartment ;  churn  often ;  work  the  butter  well 
with  anything  but  the  bare  hands  ;  use  only  the  purest  and  best  salt ; 
pack  in  clean  jars  or  tubs ;  keep  cool,  and  cover  with  salt  cloths, 
and  the  butter  will  be  equal  to  prime  "  Orange  County." 

Poultry. — To  gratify  the  secretiveness  of  hens  make  nests  where 
they  cannot  be  seen  by  other  fowls  when  they  are  laying  or  setting. 
If  nests  be  too  deep,  eggs  will  rest  on  each  other,  which  should  never 
occur. 

—  Confine  as  soon  as  the  garden  is  sown,  or  keep  them  out  of 
it.  Put  hens  (in  coops)  and  young  chickens  in  the  garden.  Tur- 
keys' eggs  ought  not  to  be  set  before  the  first  of  May;  when 
hatched,  put  the  brood  in  a  dry,  warm  shed,  where  no  other  poul- 
try have  been  in  the  habit  of  frequenting,  and  keep  them  out  of 
dewy  grass  for  six  weeks. 

—  Keep  a  good  dust-bath  for  the  fowls,  and  add  unleached  wood- 
ashes  to  it  occasionally ;  watch  any  appearance  of  vermin,  and  clear 
them  out  with  an  application  of  kerosene,  which  may  be  rubbed  un- 
der the  wings  and  on  the  backs  and  breasts  of  the  birds.  White- 
wash occasionally  and  thoroughly  houses,  perches,  nests  and  all. 

—  Collect  eggs  of  all  kinds  before  evening,  lest  they  be  injured 
during  cold  nights.  Place  those  designed  for  setting  in  a  pan  of 
bran  or  oats,  little  end]  down,  to  keep  the  yolk  from  the  side  and 
adhering  to  the  shell.  Hens  and  other  female  birds  turn  over  their 
eggs  frequently,  both  before  and  during  the  period  of  their  incu- 
bation. Mark  choice  eggs  with  red  chalk  or  pencil. 

—  Why  do  so  many  eggs  sold  in  the  markets  taste  so  strongly  of 
straw.?  Because  the  farmers  permit  their  fowls  to  work  most  of 
their  hving  out  of  the  manure-heap.  This  not  only  gives  the  ^^g  a 
peculiar  taste,  but  the  flesh  also.  Just  feed  a  hen  on  onions  or 
turnips  for  a  few  days ;  kill  it,  and  you  will  be  convinced  of  the 
effect  of  the  food  on  the  ^g-g  and  meat,  if  you  have  any  doubt  on 
the  subject.  Give  your  fowls  plenty  of  sound  grain  and  clean  food, 
and  keep  the  manure  for  the  soil. 

—  Feed  well ;  let  them  out  of  the  yard  before  sunset  daily ;  sup- 
ply them  with  a  box  of  sharp  gravel  where  there  is  none  in  the 
soil.  Whole  grain  should  be  soaked  at  least  twenty  hours  for  them ; 
and  if  ground  it  will  go  much  farther. 


464  POULTRY. 


If  eggs  are  expected  during  the  winter,  they  must  be  provided 

for  in  October.  Dispose  of  the  old  hens ;  select  as  many  of  the  best 
young  pullets,  and  feed  them  well.  Give  wheat  soaked  in  hot  water 
once  a  day.  Barley,  buckwheat  and  corn,  in  equal  proportions, 
may  make  the  rest  of  the  food ;  chopped  cabbages  will  help.  Pro- 
vide clean  quarters,  plenty  of  water,  gravel,  old  mortar  and  char- 
coal. Make  the  house  warm  ;  do  not  crowd  too  many  into  it,  and 
a  good  supply  of  eggs  will  result. 

—  Insist  on  having  eggs.  Warm,  clean  quarters,  cooked  grain 
and  potatoes,  scraps  of  meat,  powdered  bones  or  lime,  gravel, 
ashes  and  warm  water,  are  the  convincing  arguments. 

Feed  scraps  of  meat  or  pounded  bones  frequently  in  winter. 

Give  warm,  light  quarters,  and  dry  ashes  to  dust  themselves  with, 
fresh  water  (but  warm)  daily,  and  keep  the  water  and  feed  vessels 
scrupulously  clean.  Thus  avoid  diseases  among  poultry,  and  get 
plenty  of  eggs. 

—  Fill  a  box  before  the  snow  covers  the  ground  with  a  bushel  or 
two  of  clean  gravel ;  but  if  this  cannot  be  found,  pound  up  some 
large  stones — best  sandstones. 

Care  of  Poultry. — Roup.—\i  hens  seem  to  have  cold  in  the 
head,  what  is  the  matter,  and  how  can  I  cure  them  ? 

It  is  roup.  Remove  the  dry  discharge  from  the  eyes  and  nose, 
and  wash  them  morning  and  evening  with  water  and  vinegar,  about 
half  and  half. 

Pip. — What  will  cure  pip  in  hens  ? 

Pip  is  caused  by  exposure  to  damp  or  wet  weather.  The  symp- 
toms are  a  short,  quick,  spasmodic  cough  resembling  a  chirp,  with 
a  stoppage  of  the  nostrils,  compelling  the  fowl  to  respire  through 
the  mouth.  It  is  not  considered  a  disease  in  itself,  but  is  a  symp- 
tom, and  if  not  attended  to  and  checked  will  result  in  catarrh,  and 
oftentimes  end  in  roup.  Remove  the  bird  to  a  dry,  warm  place, 
wash  out  the  mouth  and  nostrils  with  a  weak  solution  of  chlorinated 
soda,  and  mix  cayenne  pepper  with  the  food. 

A  Cure  for  Chicken  Cholera.— On^  of  the  greatest  afflictions 
in  the  poultr>^-yard  is  chicken  cholera,  and  when  once  the  disease 
gets  a  foothold,  unless  some  prompt  measures  are  taken  to  prevent 
its  spread,  the  consequences  are  often  disastrous.  The  following  is 
a  specific  for  this  disease : 

Cayenne  pepper,  2  parts,    1      Pulverized  gentian,  i  part, 

Prepared  chalk,  2  parts,      I      Pulverized  charcoal,  i  part. 

Take  the  parts  by  measurement,  not  by  weight.     Mix  all  with  lard 

or  mutton  suet  to  a  consistency  suitable  to  be  made  into  pills,  and 


MISCELLANEOUS.  465 


make  them  about  the  size  of  a  common  marble.  To  fowls  afflicted 
with  cholera  or  roup  give  each  one  pill  twice  a  day,  and  keep  them 
in  a  warm,  dry  place.  In  forty-eight  hours  a  cure  will  be  effected. 
As  a  preventive  when  cholera  prevails  in  the  neighborhood,  one 
pill  once  a  week  may  be  given  to  each  fowl.  With  this  recipe  six- 
teen out  of  seventeen  chickens  attacked  with  cholera  can  be  cured. 


PART  IV. 


Hygiene  and  Medicines. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE   HYGIENE    OF   DOMESTIC   ANIMALS. 

S^ygin^j  of  the  Horse.     Food — Drink — Cleaning — Ventila-' 

tion — "  Condition  Powders  J' 
Disinfection — Receipts  for  Disinfectants. 
Hygienic  Rules  in  the  Fattening  of  Animals. 
"  Cattle  Fowder-s/^  and  "  Condimental  Foods.'^ 
Diets  for  Fattening. 

The  purposes  for  which  domestic  animals  are  kept  differ 
widely  when  we  consider  the  horse  on  the  one  hand,  and  on 
the  other  the  steer,  cow,  sheep  and  hog.  The  former  is 
prized  for  its  capacities  for  speed  and  transportation  only ; 
the  latter  chiefly  as  they  furnish  food  to  man.  Hence,  the 
hygienic  treatment  of  the  two  classes  materially  differ.  It  is 
alike,  however,  in  this  respect,  that  is,  that  it  is  designed  in 
both  cases  to  obtain,  at  the  least  outlay  of  care  and  money, 

467 


468  Hygiene  and  Iledicines, 

the  utmost  fitness  for  the  purpose  for  which  the  animal  is 
kept. 

HYGIEXE   OF   THE   HOESE. 

Food. — The  liygiene  of  the  horse  has  reference  first  to  his 
food.  As  we  have  previously  mentioned,  the  horse  has  but 
one  stomach,  and  that  not  at  all  a  large  one  for  his  size. 
Hence  he  requires  food  in  moderate  quantity,  but  frequently, 
at  least  every  four  or  five  hours.  In  regard  to  quality,  he  is 
best  suited  by  a  mixed  diet  of  grain  and  hay.  In  propor- 
tion as  the  work  demanded  of  him  is  arduous  the  proportion 
of  the  grain  (whether  corn,  oats,  peas  or  beans)  should  be 
increased  ;  whereas,  when  the  work  is  not  severe,  and  wdien, 
as  in  private  carriage  horses,  it  is  desirable  that  they  should 
present  a  roundness  and  plumpness  of  form,  it  is  necessary 
to  diminish  the  amount  of  grain,  or  otherwise  the  animal 
becomes  plethoric,  and  "out  of  condition." 

Attention  must  also  be  given,  in  this  respect,  to  the  indi- 
vidual constitution  of  the  horse.  Some  animals  are  said  to 
be  more  "easily  kept"  than  others.  This  usually  depends  on 
the  greater  perfection  of  their  digestive  organs.  They  as- 
similate all  the  nutriment  there  is  in  their  food;  while  a  horse 
which  is  "hard  to  keep"  will  generally  be  found  to  pass  with 
his  evacuations  a  considerable  percentage  of  undigested  ali- 
ment. A-  remedy  for  the  latter  condition  will  often  be 
found  in  selecting  food  of  a  rather  constipating  character, 
giving  it  well  ground,  so  that  the  digestive  fluids  will  act  on 
it  easily,  keeping  the  teeth  in  good  repair,  allowing  but  a 
moderate  quantity  of  water,  and  if  called  for,  by  administer- 
ing a  light  tonic.  A  very  important  point  in  such  cases  is  to 
keep  the  skin  active,  by  brushing,  washing  and  clipping. 

Those  who  would  raise  a  fine  breed  of  horses  should  pay 
especial  attention  to  the  food  of  mares  during  pregnancy. 
Messrs.    Seller  &  Stephens,  in  their  excellent  treatise  on 


Hygiene  of  the  Horse.  469 

TJie  Physiology  of  the  Farm,  lay  it  clown  as  a  well  estab- 
lished fact  that  any,  even  a  temporary,  failure  in  the  Quantity 
or  quality  of  the  food  of  the  dam  at  this  period  will  surely 
jirove  the  source  of  some  one  or  another  defect  of  the  foal, 
and  perhaps  lay  the  foundation  for  some  serious  vice  of  the 
constitution,  which  may  affect  its  value  throughout  life. 
The  food  should  not  be  rich,  nor  fattening,  as  a  condition  of 
plethora  or  obesity  is  always  injurious  to  the  fetus  -,  yet  the 
nourishment  should  be  somewha-t  more  abundant  than  in  the 
ordinary  condition.  Moderately  rich  pastures,  fairly  set  in 
any  of  the  better  class  of  grasses  in  summer,  and  clean, 
well  cured  hay,  with  medium  quantities  of  grain  in  winter, 
should  be  the  diet  of  the  pregnant  mare. 

Brink. — The  average  horse  varies  in  the  amount  of  water  he 
will  consume  daily,  from  two  buckets  to  five  or  six.  It  should 
be  given  at  regular  intervals  and  those  not  far  apart.  Three 
times  a  day  is  not  frequently  enough.  Double  that  fre- 
quency would  be  more  correct.  When  the  horse  is  in  active 
use  he  should  not  be  allowed  to  drink  to  repletion  at  any 
time,  except  in  the  evening,  after  the  day's  work  is  done, 
and  when  the  hide  has  cooled  to  the  ordinary  temperature. 

The  water  selected  should  be  pure,  soft,  and  cool.  Hard 
water,  however,  agrees  well  with  horses  which  are  accus- 
tomed to  it,  and  their  bowels  are  as  apt  to  be  disturbed  on 
changing  to  soft  water  as  are  those  of  animals  accustomed  to 
the  latter  w^hen  first  placed  upon  that  which  is  hard.  Es- 
pecial care  should  be  taken  that  the  water  does  not  contain 
decaying  animal  or  vegetable  matter.  Various  instances 
have  been  reported  where  whole  stables  have  been  sickened 
by  water  containing  these  organic  impurities.- 

Cleaning. — All  horses  are  better  for  cleanliness,  both  as  res- 
pects their  stables  and  their  coats.  When  well  groomed,  the 
secretion  of  the  skin  is  more  active,  and  the  internal  organs  are 
not  nearly   so  liable  to  congestion.     An  exception  to  this  is 


470  Hygiene  and  Medicines. 

made  by  some  horsemen,  when  a  horse  has  been  driven 
through  muddy  roads.  It  appears  that  it  is  better  to  allow 
the  mud  to  dry  on  his  coat  before  removing  it,  and  then  not 
comb  or  wash  it  off,  but  remove  it  by  brushing  only ;  other- 
wise the  skin  is  liable  to  crack.     (See  page  211). 

Ventilation. — In  many  stables,  especially  in  cities,  there  is 
great  neglect  of  proper  v^entilation.  The  air  in  the  stalls  in  the 
morning  is  close,  hot  and  foul.  Consequently,  the  animals  easily 
take  colds  and  sore  throats,  and  recover  slowly.  Fresh  and 
pure  air  is  one  of  the  greatest  safeguards  to  the  health  of  the 
lower  animals,  as  of  man,  and  often  attention  to  this  alone 
will  do  away  with  the  need  of  tonics  and  condition  powders. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into  the  various  details  of  ventila- 
tion, as  their  excellence  often  depends  upon  the  structure 
and  position  of  the  particular  building. 

"CONDITION   POWDERS." 

Under  this  name  large  quantities  of  secret  preparations  are 
sold  throughout  the  country,  the  avowed  object  of  which  is 
to  restore  to  vigor  horses  which  are  '^  out  of  condition,^'  and 
to  increase  the  appetite  and  fattening  capacities  of  stall-fed 
steers,  sheep,  etc.  The  great  majority  of  these  powders  do 
more  harm  than  good.  They  are  composed  of  stimulating 
and  heating  substances,  and  indiscreetly  administered,  by 
persons  ignorant  of  their  composition,  they  often  give  for  a 
time  a  fallacious  appearance  of  health  and  vigor  to  the  animal, 
followed  by  prostration  and  disease.  We  warn  against  their 
use,  and  will  here  give  simple  and  efficient  substitutes  for 
them,  which  can  be  bought  at  much  less  cost. 

But,  first,  let  us  inquire  what  we  mean  by  saying  that  an 
animal  is  "out  of  condition?''  The  term  is  apj)lied  to  two 
very  different  states  of  the  system. 

One,  and  the  more  common,  is  where  the  animal  has  been 
Well  fed  and  cared  for,  and  is  sleek  and  seemingly  robust. 


Condition  Powders,  471 

But  lie  becomes  capricious  about  his  food,  the  appetite  is 
variable  and  generally  lessened,  the  eye  is  dull,  and  sometimes 
yellowish  and  bloodshot,  the  motions  languid,  there  is  an 
absence  of  "  fire,"  the  bowels  are  bound,  the  dung  dry,  the 
temper  is  irritable,  and  there  is  a  general  want  of  "  tone." 
Now,  this  is  nothing  else  than  what  medical  men  call  a  state 
of  "  plethora ; "  there  is  a  formation  of  superfluous  blood  and 
fat,  owing  to  a  too  rich  and  abundant  diet,  and  an  insuffi- 
ciency of  exercise  and  pure  air.  Usually  medicine  of  any 
kind  is  superfluous.  If  the  diet  is  changed  to  a  poorer  one, 
and  diminished  in  quantity,  and  if  abundance  of  exercise  is 
given,  these  symptoms  will  soon  pass  away.  If  they  do  not, 
small  doses  of  aloes  (2  to  4  drs.)  should  be  given  twice  a 
week ;  and  an  ounce  of  saltpetre  placed  in  the  water  about 
as  often.  These  agents  act  on  the  bowels  and  kidneys,  and 
will  soon  relieve  the  overloaded  system. 

The  second  form  of  loss  of  condition  is  seen  in  hard- worked 
and  often  underfed  horses.  The  coat  is  rough  and  staring, 
the  skin  dry  and  harsh,  often  hide-bound,  the  bowels  are 
irregular,  and  the  strength  diminished.  Even  good  care  and 
food  may  fail  to  bring  back  the  vigor  and  spirit  of  the  animal. 
What  now  is  to  be  done?  The  treatment  is  suggested 
by  the  cause  of  this  impairment  of  the  health.  Nearly 
always  it  is  a  form  of  indigestion.  The  secretory  organs 
must  first  be  restored  to  activity.  The  coat  should  be  brushed, 
clipped  and  washed ;  an  ounce  of  saltpetre  should  be  given 
every  other  day,  in  a  mash,  to  excite  the  kidneys ;  the  bowels 
cleaned  out  with  a  moderate  dose  of  aloes ;  and  soft,  easily 
digested  food  given.  If  this  does  not  bring  the  animal  to 
condition  in  a  fortnight,  then  we  should  have  recourse  to 
that  wonderful  tonic  for  the  equine  race,  arsenic. 

This  powerful  drug  has  been  greatly  abused  in  veterinary 
medAcine ;  but  it  is  of  the  utmost  value  in  many  cases,  and 
this  is  one  of  them.     It  may  be  given  in  one-ounce  doses  of 


472  Hygiene  and  Medicines, 

Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic,  every  other  day ;  or,  in  many 
instances,  it  works  still  more  efficaciously  if  combined  with 
iodide  of  potash — 

No.  461.         Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic,  J  oz. 

Iodide  of  potash,  |  oz. 

Water,  1  pint. 
IMix  into  a  draught,  with  water  or  gruel. 

Of  the  various  condition  powders  which  have  been  recom- 
mended, many  are  hurtful,  on  account  of  the  warm  and  bitter 
tonics  they  contain.  Scientific  practitioners  do  not  approve 
of  these  additions,  and  they  should  be  avoided  with  especial 
care  when  the  animal  is  changing  its  coat.  At  times,  as 
stimulants  to  the  general  functions,  we  may  use  one  of  the 
following ;  but  none  of  them  should  be  continued  for  a  length 
of  time,  nor  repeated  very  frequently : — 


No.  462.         Flowers  of  sulphur. 

Cream  of  tartar, 

Saltpetre,  of  each 

ioz. 

Mix,  and  give  in  the  food. 

No.  463.          Black  antimony, 

Ub. 

Flowers  of  sulphur, 

2  lbs. 

Common  salt. 

lib. 

Powdered  liquorice, 

Jib. 

Fenugreek, 

ilb. 

Mix.  Give  a  tablespoonful  every  day  or  two.  This  is  an  old  formula, 
and  an  example  of  a  kind  which  has  been  much  overpraised. 
Black  antimony  is  an  uncertain,  coarse  drug,  not  at  all  deserving  of 
its  reputation  in  veterinary  medicine. 

No.  464.  Sulphurated  antimony,  1  oz. 

Nitrate  of  potash,  8  oz. 

Flowers  of  sulphur,  12  oz. 

Mix,  and  give  a  tablespoonful  every  2  or  3  days.  This  antimonial 
preparation  is  superior  to  the  one  above  given. 

Other  materials  of  local  popularity  in  the  stable  are  nu- 
merous. In  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  one  of  the  most  prized 
is  the  Virginia  snakeroot  [Aristolocliia  serpentaria),  a  tonic 
and  stimulant  indigenous  vegetable,  often  used  as  a  house- 
hold remedy.     A  cold  infusion  is  prepared  by  steeping  a 


Condition  Powders,  473 

handful  in  a  quart  of  water,  and  a  tumblerful  is  poured  over 
the  grain  or  hay  once  a  day. 

Another  favorite  is  willow  bark.  The  inner  bark  of  the 
young  shoots  is  boiled  in  the  proportion  of  a  handful  to  the 
quart  of  water,  and  a  tumblerful  of  this  administered  daily. 
As  the  willow  bark  contains  the  bitter  principle  known  as 
salicin,  which  is  an  excellent  tonic  and  appetizer,  no  doubt 
this  is  an  efficient  plan  to  correct  dull  and  drooping  horses. 

In  the  army  gunpowder  had  the  reputation  of  being  a 
powerful  stimulant  for  horse  flesh,  and  occasionally  we  have 
heard  of  a  spoonful  being  mixed  with  the  forage,  to  instill 
life  into  broken-down  nags.  As  all  the  materials  of  which 
it  is  composed,  the  nitre,  the  charcoal  and  the  sulphur,  are 
well  known  and  often-used  stimulants  and  correctives  in 
veterinary  medicine,  their  combination  may,  very  likely, 
have  a  happy  effect.  It  is  recommended  to  mix  the  gun- 
powder mth  the  whites  of  several  eggs,  and  give  it  as  a 
drench. 

Whichever  of  these  tonics  is  used,  it  sliould  not  be  often 
repeated,  as  such  a  course  will  surely  bring  about  obstinate 
dyspeptic  troubles,  and  general  deterioration  of  the  health. 

DISINFECTION. 

For  the  prevention  of  diseases,  especially  for  checking  the 
spread  of  epidemic  diseases,  no  measure  is  more  important 
than  thorough  disinfection.  Every  stable,  every  farm,  should 
have  in  storp,  and  freely  use,  some  disinfecting  mixture.  It 
should  be  constantly  employed  as  a  preventive  of  disease,  as 
a  purifier  of  the  air  and  of  the  discharges,  and  often  as  a  means 
of  keeping  away  flies  and  insects.  We  give  below  the  formulas 
of  a  number  of  the  most  efficient  and  cheap  disinfectants,  so 
that  the  reader  can  buy  the  materials  and  make  i\\(i  mixtures 
himself,  and  thus  save  the  increased  cost  he  would  have  to 
pay  by  buying  them  ready  made. 


474  Hygiene  and  Medicines. 

It  has  been  found  by  experience  that  no  one  substance  acts 
so  effectually  by  itself  as  it  does  in  combination  or  solution. 
The  following  are  in  the  solid  form  of  powders  : — 

No  465.  Copperas  (sulphate  of  iron),  300  parts. 

Plaster-of-Paris,  ground,  100  parts. 

Carbolic  acid,  2  parts. 
Mix  well  together. 

No.  466.         Copperas,  20  parts. 

White  vitriol,  1  pa^t. 

Plaster-of-Paris,  36  parts. 

Mix. 

No.  467.         Copperas,  6  lbs. 

Common  salt,  4  lbs. 

Flowers  of  sulphur,  2  lbs. 

Mix.  This  costs  about  14  cents  per  pound.  It  has  been  sold  as  the 
Excelsior  disinfectant. 

No.  468.         Air-slacked  lime,  1  bushel. 

Copperas,  1  lb. 

Carbolic  acid,  J  Ih. 

Mix.  This  has  been  sold  as  "  carbolate  of  lime."  It  costs  about  50 
cents  a  bushel. 

The  following  are  in  the  liquid  form : — 

No.  469.  Chloride  of  aluminum,  IJ  lbs. 

Water,  1  gallon. 

Dissolve.    This  is  known  as  "  chloralum,"   and  was  introduced  by 

Prof.  Gamgee.     It  is  not  poisonous,  and  has  no  smell.     The  cost  is 

about  50  cents. 

No.  470.  White  vitriol  (zinc  sulphate)  1  oz. 

Carbolic  acid,  I  oz. 

Water.  1  gallon. 
Mix.     A  cheap  and  efficient  disinfecting  wash. 

No.  471.         Sulphate  of  iron,  16  oz. 

Chloride  of  zinc,  8  oz. 

Water,  1  gallon: 

Dissolve.  This  is  a  powerful  disinfectant.  Cost  about  $1.00  per 
gallon.  A  pint  of  it,  mixed  with  a  gallon  of  water,  is  abundantly 
strong  enough.     It  is  poisonous. 


Hygiene  of  Fattening,  475 

HYGIENIC  RULES  FOR  THE  FATTENING  OF  ANIMALS. 

The  farmer  and  stock  raiser  will  economize  his  food 
supply,  and  have  his  stock  ready  for  market  sooner,  by  pay- 
ing attention  to  the  physiology  of  the  fattening  process  and 
the  chemistry  of  food.  It  is  not  a  jDart  of  our  present  task 
to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  these  questions,  but  there  are 
certain  points  relating  to  the  preservation  of  the  health  of 
animals  at  such  times  which  we  shall  touch  upon,  and  which 
it  is  of  essential  importance  for  stock  owners  to  consider. 

Regularity  in  the  hours  of  giving  food  is  one  of  the  secrets  of 
success  in  economically  fattening  animals.  The  digestive 
organs  become  accustomed  to  doing  their  work  at  recurrent 
intervals,  and  they  enjoy  a  period  of  repose  between  these 
periods,  which  fits  them  the  better  to  perform  their  function 
w^hen  called  upon.  The  English  rule  in  fattening  oxen  is  to 
feed  four  times  a  day,  usually  at  7,  10,  2  and  6  o'clock. 

Regularity  in  the  quantity  of  food  is  another  secret. 
About  the  same  amount  of  labor  should  be  demanded  of  the 
stomach  at  each  daily  period  of  feeding.  To  fatten  an  ox, 
the  English  estimate  is,  that  he  requires,  at  first,  five,  and 
later  four  per  cent,  of  his  weight  of  cured  hay  or  mixed  food 
per  day.  This  amount  should  be  divided  equally  in  four 
meals. 

Abundance  of  fresh  air  and  moderate  exercise  should  not 
be  neglected.  AVe  are  aware  that  many  of  the  farmers  of 
the  Eastern  States,  celebrated  for  their  stall-fed  cattle,  chain 
them  in  dark  stalls  for  months  at  a  time,  without  paying  any 
attention  to  the  precepts  we  speak  of.  It  is  also  true  that, 
thus  shut  up,  the  animals  lay  on  fat  faster  than  they  would 
if  allowed  the  range  of  the  barn  yard.  But  it  is  also  a  fact 
that  experience  has  over  and  over  proven  that  such  animals 
are  peculiarly  liable  to  fatal  contagious  disorders,  and  the 
extra  loss  so  entailed  will  more  tlian  counterbalance,  in  the 
long  run,  the  food  economized  by  this  plan. 


476  Hygiene  and  Medicines, 

The  wisest  of  all  systems  of  fattening  is  by  keeping  the 
animals  in  what  the  English  call  hammds,  that  is,  small 
pens  to  accommodate  two  oxen,  one-half  of  which  is  roofed 
and  walled,  so  as  to  afford  entire  protection  from  inclement 
weather,  while  the  other  half  is  open.  The  animals  are 
tlius  in  a  measure  isolated  from  contagion ;  they  have  abun- 
dance of  fresh  and  pm-e  air;  and  while  they  have  just  enough 
room  to  obtain  this,  they  are  sufficiently  confined  to  prevent 
them  wasting  their  fat  in  running. 

When,  through  stall  feeding,  an  animal  becomes  plethoric? 
loses  his  appetite,  and  the  food  taken  does  not  increase  the 
weight  as  it  should,  it  is  well  to  change  the  character  of  the 
food  to  a  plainer  kind,  for  two  or  three  days,  and  give  an 
alterative  powder,  as — 

No.  472.        Nitrate  of  potash, 

Sulphur,  in  powder, 

Gintrer,  of  each,  2  oz. 

Mix.     Give  in  molasses  and  water.     For  a  steer. 

When  the  appetite  improves,  small  quantities  of  food,  at 
regular  intervals,  should  be  offered,  and  if  any  is  left  in  the 
manger,  it  should  at  once  be  removed. 

CATTLE  POWDERS  AND  CONDIMEKTAL  FOOD. 

Various  "cattle  powders"  and  "fattening  powders"  are 
sold  throughout  the  country,  claiming  to  increase  the  deposit 
of  fat  in  animals,  and  thus  economize  the  food  supply. 

They  are  always  composed  of  much  the  same  materials, 
variously  disguised,  to  wit :  of  some  of  the  stomachic  and  car- 
minative seeds — aniseed,  carraway  seed,  fennel  seed,  coriander 
seed,  ginger  or  mustard  seed ;  of  some  vegetable  tonic — as 
gentian,  Virginia  snake  root,  willow  bark,  cascarilla,  etc.;  of 
one  or  more  of  the  alteratives — sulphur,  nitrate  of  potash,  com- 
mon salt,  etc. ;  and  perhaps  of  a  mineral  tonic,  as  copperas ;  the 
whole  colored  with  turmeric  and  mixed  with  meal.   As  the  fla- 


Condimental  Food.  477 

vor  is  agreeable  to  cattle,  they  eat  their  food  with  more  eager- 
ness when  thus  spiced,  and  the  compound  seems  to  restore  their 
appetite  when  it  has  been  failing.  The  tonics  and  alteratives 
may  also  act,  occasionally,  favorably  on  the  system ;  but,  as 
we  have  previously  urged,  the  habitual  use  of  any  such  mix- 
tures will  entail  unfortunate  results  on  the  health  of  the  stock. 
In  England  fortunes  have  been  made  by  selling  what  are 
called  "condimental  foods.''  These  are  ground  feeds  of 
various  kinds,  to  which  palatable  and  stimulating  sub- 
stances have  been  added.  Horses,  cattle  and  sheep  con- 
sume them  greedily;  and  added  to  their  ordinary  provender 
from  time  to  time,  their  use  is  no  doubt  often  productive  of 
benefit ;  but  by  no  means  to  the  extent  that  the  exaggerations 
of  their  advertisers  would  have  us  believe.  The  general 
composition  of  these  foods  may  be  seen  from  the  following 
receipt,  which  is  given  by  Dr.  Charles  A.  Cameron,  in  his 
Stock  Feeder'' s  Manual,  as  making  a  mixture  equal,  if  not 
superior,  to  any  secret  combination  for  the  purpose  there  is  in 
the  market.     The  quantities  given  make  one  ton : — 

No.  473. 


Linseed  meal, 

800  lbs. 

Ground  beans, 

925    " 

Indian  corn  meal, 

433    " 

Powdered  turmeric, 

30    " 

"        ginger, 

3    " 

"        fenugreek, 

2    " 

"        gentian, 

10    " 

"       coriander  seed, 

2    " 

Cream  of  tartar, 

20    " 

Flowers  of  sulphur. 

10    " 

Common  salt, 

5    " 

2240  " 
DIETS  FOR  FATTENING. 


The  direct  use  of  fats  and  oils  has  been  found,  in  England, 
to  be  a  great  aid  to  the  speedy  and  economical  fattening  of 
animals.  An  ounce  of  fish  oil,  daily,  to  a  sheep  or  pig,  or  a 
half  pint  to  a.  steer,  will  increase  the  accumulation  of  fat  so 


478  Hygiene  and  Medicines. 

rapidly  that  the  cost  of  the  substance  is  much  more  than  re- 
turned to  the  owner.  Probably  any  of  the  mild  fixed  oils, 
as  linseed,  lard,  or  cotton  seed  oil,  will  answer  as  well,  and  as 
in  some  sections  they  are  very  cheap,  the  use  of  them  should 
be  encouraged.  Oil  cake  is  an  excellent  fattening  material. 
As  a  healthful  and  typical  fattening  mixture  for  the  ox, 
Messrs.  Lawes  and  Gilbert  recommend  the  following  : — 
No.  474. 


Crushed  oil  cake, 

8  lbs. 

Chopped  clover  hay, 

13  lbs. 

Turnips, 

47  lbs. 

This  amount  is  given  daily,  in  four  divided  portions,  to  an 
ox  weighing  about  fourteen  hundred  pounds,  and  will  in- 
crease him  in  weight  at  the  rate  of  twenty  pounds  per  week. 

In  feeding  Indian  corn  or  peas  it  is  important  to  give 
pigs  a  supply  of  some  mineral  substance,  the  grain  not  con- 
taining sufficient  for  keeping  them  in  a  healthy  condition. 
Their  breathing  becomes  labored,  and  they  become 
'^bloated,"  with  occasionally  local  swellings  of  the  glands  at 
the  sides  of  the  neck.  For  this,  Mr.  Harris  recommends 
that  a  trough  containing  the  following  mixture  be  placed  in 
the  pen,  and  the  pigs  be  allowed  to  take  it  as  they  wish  : — 

No.  475.         Finely-sifted  coal  ashes,  20  lbs. 

Common  salt,  4  lbs. 

Superphosphate  of  lime,  1  lb. 

In  all  cases  they  should  have  an  abundance  of  pure  water 
to  drink,  be  kept  clean  by  washing  and  change  of  litter, 
weekly,  and  have  a  stye  with  a  tight  roof,  to  protect  them 
from  the  sun  and  storms.  Instead  of  a  mud  hole  to  w^allow 
in,  there  should  be  a  heap  of  dry  coal  ashes,  charcoal,  or 
clean,  dry  earth,  in  one  corner  of  the  pen.  This  will  keep 
them  free  from  lice  and  fleas. 

A  frequent  mistake  is  in  giving  too  much  food  at  once. 
Double  the  quantity  of  food  is  often  required  to  fatten  an 
animal,  when  it  is  given  irregularly,  and  in  large  quantities. 
Small  amounts  at  regular  intervals  are  far  more  economical. 


Treatment  of  Poisoning,  479 

CHAPTER  II. 

POISONS  AND   THE   TKEATMENT   OF   POISONING. 

General  Rules  for  the  Treatment  of  Poisoning, 
Vegetable  Poisons : — Aloes — Castor  and  Croton  Seeds — Dis- 
eased  and  Spoiled  Foods — Eupatorium — Hellebore — Laurel 
— Poisonous  Ilushroooms — Opium —  Ranunculus — Savin 
— St  John\  Wort — Tobacco — Turpentine — Stramonium, 
Jjfinerai  and  Chemical  Poisons: — Acids — Alkalies — Alco- 
hoi — Arsenic —  Brine —  Corrosive  Sublimate  —  Creasote — 
Lead — Mercury — Strychnine —  Tartar  Emetic, 

Cases  of  poisoning  in  the  lower  animals  are  usually  owing 
to  accident,  in  forcing  down  excessive  doses  of  dangerous 
drugs  as  medicine ;  or  design,  when  an  enemy  seeks  to  re- 
venge himself  on  the  owner  by  poisoning  his  stock ;  or  to 
animals  consuming  with  their  food  some  noxious  plant  or 
other  injurious  agent. 

Often,  especially  in  the  second  and  third  of  these  cases,  it 
IS  not  known  really  what  poison  has  been  taken.  In  these, 
and,  in  fact,  in  nearly  all  cases  of  poisoning,  it  is  safe  prac- 
tice to  act  at  once,  in  accordance  with  the  following  rules : — 

1.  Administer  at  once  a  full  dose  (one  to  three  pints)  of 
some  bland  oil,  as  sweet,  cottonseed,  lard,  or  linseed  oil. 

2.  Follow  the  oil  with  repeated  doses  of  lime  water,  or 
powdered  chalk,  whiting,  or  powdered  charcoal,  mixed  wdth 
water  or  mucilage  to  the  consistency  of  thin  syrup. 

3.  If  great  exhaustion  and  sinking  follow,  and  signs  of 
drowsiness,  without  inflammation  of  the  stomach,  give 
whisky  or  other  spirits  freely. 

4.  Move  the  bowels  by  active  injections  (as  No.  91.) 
For   purposes  of  treatment,   poisons  may   be  most  con- 
veniently divided  into  Vegetable  Poisons  and  Mineral  and 
Chemical  Poisons. 


480  Treatment  of  Poisoning, 

VEGETABLE  POISONS. 

Al06S>- — The  extensive  use  of  this  strong  purgative  in  veterinary 
practice  lias  led  to  many  cases  where  animals  have  died  from  its  effects. 
The  symptoms  are  those  of  excessive  purging.  The  feces  become  scanty, 
bloody,  and  expelled  with  violent  straining.  The  pulse  is  rapid,  the 
legs  and  ears  cold,  the  mouth  hot  and  dry,  and  the  belly  bloated  and 
painful. 

The  treatment  consists  in  giving  a  full  dose  of  opium,  say  two  ounces 
of  laudanum  in  a  quart  of  linseed  tea,  repeating  it  in  two  hours  if  neces- 
sary ;  and  throwing  a  like  quantity  up  the  rectum. 

Castor  Seeds;  Croton  Seeds.— Both  these  seeds  act  as 

purgatives  on  the  horse  and  ox,  and  swallowed  in  large  quantities 
bring  about  violent  and  dangerous  action  of  the  bowels.  The  treatment 
is  the  same  as  directed  under  Aloes. 

Diseased  and  Injured  Foods.— Foods whichhave been 

^'spoiled,"  or  have  undergone  fermentation  and  partial  decay,  are  liable 
to  bring  on  attacks  of  diarrhea,  inflammation  of  the  stomach  and 
bowels,  obstinate  constipation,  and  other  symptoms.  Among  these 
musty  and  sunburnt  hay  is  a  common  cause  of  colic,  dyspepsia  and 
stomach  staggers.  The  animal  loses  flesh  and  strength,  the  eye  is 
yellow,  the  urine  dark,  and  violent  attacks  of  giddiness,  and  even  frenzy 
may  supervene.  To  relieve  these  symptoms,  full  doses  of  purgatives 
should  be  given  by  the  mouth  and  rectum,  the  diet  changed,  and  the 
strength  supported  by  tonics  and  stimulants. 

Mouldy  oats  are  liable  to  produce  diabetes  or  profuse  staleing.  The 
symptoms  and  treatment  of  this  complaint  are  given  on  page  164. 

Straw  which  is  rusty  has  an  injurious  effect  on  animals,  rendering 
them  thin  and  sickly,  subject  to  epidemic  diseases,  and  lessening  their 
vigor. 

The  fungus  growth  called  ergot  is  found  chiefly  in  rye  and  Indian 
corn.  The  consumption  of  such  grain  in  quantities,  for  a  long  time,  is 
very  sure  to  bring  on  injurious  results.  The  animals  have  ragged  coats, 
their  teeth  loosen,  they  lose  flesh,  and  are  peculiarly  liable  to  fatal 
impaction  of  the  third  stomach,  as  we  have  mentioned  on  a  previous 
page  (296),  where  we  referred  to  a  very  severe  epidemic  that  pre- 
vailed in  the  Mississippi  Valley  some  years  ago,  and  which  was 
distinctly  traced  to  this  cause.  The  usual  symptoms  of  the  condition 
known  as  ergotism  are  a  dull,  stupid  expression,  staring  look,  dilated 
pupils  of  the  eyes,  staggers  and  stupidity  ;  with  these  are  twitchings  and 
spasms,  especially  of  the  muscles  of  the  hind  limbs,  passing  into  palsy. 
The  temperature,  as  felt  on  the  horns,  ears  and  legs,  is  below  the  normal, 


Treatment  of  Poisoning,  481 

the  pulse  is  slow  and  weak  ;  sores  are  slow  in  liealing  ;  and  there  may 
be  a  discharge  from  the  nose. 

Half  rotten  turnips  and  cabbages,  and  potatoes  which  have  the  blight 
or  rot,  should  not  be  fed  to  stock.  Their  nutritive  power  is  lost,  and  not 
unfrequently  they  bring  on  colic  and  diarrhea. 

EupStOrium. — The  white  snakeroot  has  been  alleged  to  be  the 
cause  of  milk  sickness  or  trembles.  But,  as  ve  have  said  in  discussing 
that  disease  (page  304),  the  evidence  to  this  efiect  is  insufficient. 

Hellebore. — White  Hellebore,  or  Indian  Voke  {Veratrum  alburn)^ 
grows  over  large  sections  of  the  United  States.  It  is  an  active,  narcotic, 
irritant  poison,  especially  the  root,  and  instances  of  poisoning  from  i^ 
have  been  reported.  The  treatment  is  by  full  doses  of  whiskey,  by 
which  means  the  symptoms  will  be  promptly  dispersed. 

Laurel. — The  sheep's  laurel  {Kalmia  angustifolia)  is  believed  to 
be  poisonous  to  sheep  when  they  eat  its  leaves,  berries  or  branches. 
The  plant  grows  abundantly  in  the  Middle  States.  The  poisonous  prin- 
ciple which  it  contains  is  allied  to  prussic  acid.  The  proper  treatment 
of  poisoning  by  this  means  is  to  administer  stimulants,  as  whisky  or 
gin,  freely,  and  promote  the  action  of  the  bowels,  by  purges  and 
injections. 

Mushrooms. — The  poisonous  species  of  mushrooms  seem  to 
be  avoided  by  the  lower  animals.  Yet  some  instances  of  fatal  results 
from  their  consumption  have  been  known.  The  antidotes  used  are 
oil,  stimulants  and  solution  of  ammonia. 

Opi  Uin. — The  extensive  use  of  this  vegetable  product  in  medicine 
has  led  to  frequent  cases  of  poisoning  from  it.  It  requires,  indeed, 
considerable  quantities.  From  one  to  two  ounces  prove  poisonous  to 
the  horse,  but  cattle  can  sustain  several  times  this  amount.  The  symp- 
toms from  opium  poisoning  are,  in  the  first  stage — restless  twitching  of 
the  ears  and  tail,  hot  extremities,  quick  and  full  pulse,  rapid  breathing  ; 
in  the  second  stage,  which  comes  on  after  one  or  two  hours,  there  are 
• — giddiness  and  sleepiness,  an  unsteady  gait,  red  eyes,  partial  palsy, 
cold  sweats,  and  gradual  sinking  into  stupor  or  convulsions.  For  the 
treatment  of  such  cases,  very  strong  coffee  should  be  given,  for  a  drench, 
a  pint  at  a  time,  with  a  gill  of  whisky,  and  repeated  at  short  intervals. 
The  animal  should  be  kept  in  active  motion,  and  if  these  measures 
promise  to  fail,  atropia,  the  natural  antidote  of  opium,  should  be  injected 
beneath  the  skin.  Cold  water,  poured  on  the  head  from  a  height  of 
ten  or  twelve  feet,  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  at  a  time,  is  an  effectual 
means  of  dispelling  the  sleepiness  which  comes  from  opiunj. 


482  Treatment  of  Poisoning. 

Ranunculus.— ^^1  tte  varieties  of  Ranunculus  are  acrid  and  irri- 
tating. The  celery-leaved  crowfoot,  Ranunculus  sceleratus,  has  a  bad 
reputation  in  this  country,  as  poisonous  to  sheep  and  other  stock,  when 
eaten  by  them.  The  eyes  of  the  animals  roll,  the  breathing  becomes 
laborious,  they  are  giddy,  turn  round  and  round,  and  may  drop  suddenly 
dead.  At  other  times,  loss  of  appetite,  quick  pulse,  staring  coat,  and 
the  other  symptoms  of  acute  inflammation  of  the  bowels  follow  its  use. 
In  the  latter  class  of  cases  a  full  purge  of  linseed  and  castor  oil  is 
required  ;  in  the  former,  an  ounce  of  ether,  in  milk,  will  often  dissipate 
the  nervous  symptoms,  and  give  time  for  an  active  purge  to  carry  off  the 
offending  substance.  • 

Savin. — The  oil  and  powder  of  savin  are  largely  and  sometimes 
indiscreetly,  used  in  domestic  veterinary  pharmacy.  When  given  in 
excessive  doses,  they  give  rise  to  severe  colic,  loss  of  appetite,  fever,  and 
constipation,  followed  by  a  bloody  and  exhausting  diarrhea.  The  treat- 
ment is  to  administer  full  doses  of  sweet  or  linseed  oil,  with  one  to  three 
ounces  of  laudanum,  and  support  the  strength  by  doses  of  an  ounce  of 
ether  in  a  pint  of  milk. 

St.  John's  Wort. — This  common  weed,  the  Hj/pericumperf or- 
atuvi,  is  charged,  and  probably  justly,  with  irritating  and  producing 
sores  on  horses,  cattle  and  sheep,  especially  such  as  have  white  feet  and 
noses — the  skin  of  such  being  more  tender  and  irritable.  Dr.  William 
Darlington,  the  late  eminent  botanist  of  Pennsylvania,  says:  "The 
dew  which  collects  on  the  plant  seems  to  become  acrid.  I  have  seen 
the  backs  of  white  cows  covered  with  sores,  wherever  the  bushy  ends 
of  their  tails  had  been  applied,  after  draggling  through  the  St.  John's 
wort."  The  noses  of  sheep  are  often  found  to  be  sore,  from  this  cause. 
The  treatment  is  to  wash  the  sores  clean,  and  cover  them  with  wood  tar 
or  petroleum,  which  heals  and  counteracts  the  acridity  of  the  plant. 

Stramonium. — The  Jlmson  or  Jamestown  weed  is  a  common 
plant  in  the  Atlantic  states,  and,  in  fact,  in  all  quarters  of  the  world — 
along  roadsides,  on  dung  heaps,  etc.  It  is  a  narcotic  and  irritant 
poisoD,  although  the  herbivora  can  take  considerable  quantities  of  it 
without  serious  results.  Two  pounds  and  a  half  of  the  seeds  have  been 
known  to  kill  a  horse.  The  symptoms  are  giddiness,  faintness  and 
delirium,  followed  by  convulsions,  palsy  and  stupor.  The  stomach  and 
intestines  are  inflamed,  the  bowels  constipated  or  passing  bloody  feces, 
and  the  colic  is  severe.  The  treatment  is  by  full  doses  of  sweet  or  lin- 
seed oil,  containing  two  to  four  ounces  of  laudanum,  injections,  and 
supporting  the  strength  by  ether  or  whisky. 


^eafment  of  Poisonhiff.  433 

in  JiV,m^,*'*?°;~^'"'"'?"'l''-^'"  "'"  '"'  Sreen  tobacco  without  suffer- 
mg  t,om  n-  but  s.x  pounds  of  cured  tobacco  have  been  known  to  kill  a 
cow.     Goats,  on   he  other  hand,  have  been  seen  to  eat  cigars  and  dried 

manifested  in  herbivorous  animals  by  violent  purgation,  with  very  offen 
sive  feces  pain  in  the  belly  and  wind  colic.  The  pulse  is  weak  tie  coat 
Storing,  the  ctreniit  es  cold.  There  is  great  prostration,  foam i'ng  at  tl 
mouth,  and  convulsions  or  stupor.  The  treatment  is,  to  administer 
ac  ive  purgatives,  followed  by  full  doses  of  whisky,  in  slippery  e"k 
mucilage,  or  linseed  tea.  •  1 1     ^  c  m  uariv 

tl.Ju"i'''^®"*'"®;"~'^^''^^'^^°«''^"^"'  ^^^^*  «^  turpentine  is  upon 
the  i^Klneys,  in  producing  strangury.  The  proper  treatment  has  been 
considered  on  page  162. 

MINERAL  AKD  CHEMICAL  POISONS. 

AcidS.-The  so-called  mineral  acids-sulphuric,  nitric  and  muri- 
atic a^ds,  and  the  concentrated  vegetable  acids,  are  all  caustic  and 
irritant  poisons.  They  would  never  be  taken  willingly  by  an  anim" 
bu  may  be  forced  down,  through  ignorance,  error  ^r' design.  Thir 
antidotes  are  foil  doses  of  alkalies,  such  as  powdered  chalk,  whitin.  or 
lime  water.  These  should  be  promptly  administered,  and  followed*  by 
sweet  or  hnseed  oil.  ^ 

AlkalieS.-Quicklime,  caustic  potash,  concentrated  lye,  washing 
soda,  etc. ,  are  destructive  agents  to  the  tissues.     When  taken  internally 
they  must  be  counteracted  by  acids,  the  handiest  of  which  is  usual  y 
vinegar  and  water.     This  should  be  freely  taken,  and  followed  by  a 
purge  of  oil.  ^u  «jy  d 

AIcohoI.-Half  a  pint  of  pure  alcohol  will  kill  a  horse,  asexperi- 
ments  have  demonstrated  ;  but  of  the  commercial  article  much  larger 
doses  can  be  tolerated.  A  form  of  chronic  alcoholic  poisoning  has  been 
noticed  in  horses  which  have  frequently  been  dosed  with  whisky  to 
keep  up  their  strength.  The  only  treatment  needed  is  to  suspend  the 
use  of  the  agent.  ^ 

Arsenic -From  the  extensive  use  made  of  this  drug  in  veterinary 
pharmacy,  instances  of  poisoning  by  it  are  not  uncommon.  Forty 
grains  of  it  m  solution  is  a  fatal  dose  for  a  horse.  Both  horse..,  sheep 
and  cattle  have  been  killed  in  numbers,  from  pasturing  in  a  field  over 
which  sheep  had  been  allowed  to  run  just  after  being  dipped  in  an 
arsemcal  solution.  The  symptoms  are:  violent  pain  in  the  bowels 
purging  and   straining;    intense  thirst,  quick,  feeble  pulse,   irregular 


484  Treatment  of  Poisoning, 

breathing  ;  reddish  urine,  low  temperature,  faintness,  palsy,  convulsions, 
and  death.  Sometimes  a  frothy  mucus  comes  from  the  mouth  and  nose, 
the  eyes  are  jaundiced  and  the  skin  discolored.  The  treatment  for 
herbivorous  animals  is  to  give  full  doses  of  oily  purgatives.  With 
these  may  be  joined  several  spoonfuls  of  iron  rust,  which  forms  with  the 
arsenic  a  harmless  salt.     The  carbonate  of  iron  is  a  more  active  form. 

BrinO. — it  is  not  generally  known  that  a  formidable  poison  is 
developed  in  the  brine  in  which  flesh  and  fish  are  steeped,  after  standing 
a  few  months.  About  two  quarts  of  such  brine  will  kill  a  horse,  and  a 
pint  and  a  half  will  destroy  a  pig  or  goat.  The  symptoms  are  sick 
stomach,  giddiness  and  apoplexy ;  the  jaws  twitch  and  the  animal 
foams  at  the  mouth.  Death  may  take  place  in  eight  hours.  The 
treatment  is  by  active  purges  and  stimulants. 

Corrosive  Sublimate. — The  corrosive  chloride  of  mercury, 
commonly  known  as  corrosive  sublimate,  is  one  of  the  most  active  and 
fatal  poisons  in  veterinary  pharmacy.  It  should  always  be  used  with  the 
utmost  caution.  A  quarter  of  an  ounce  of  it  will  kill  a  horse  or  an  ox, 
and  half  that  amount  will  destroy  a  sheep  or  pig.  The  symptoms  are  : 
violent  pain  in  the  belly ;  intense  thirst ;  total  loss  of  appetite ; 
diarrhea,  with  oflPensive  and  bloody  discharges ;  cough ;  trembling, 
salivation,  stupor  and  death.  The  treatment  is  to  pour  down  the 
whites  of  a  dozen  eggs,  stirred  up  with  a  little  warm  water;  followed 
by  linseed  tea,  mucilage  of  slippery  elm  bark,  and  a  slop  diet  for  some 
days. 

CreaSOte. — This  medicinal  agent  is  actively  corrosive  and 
caustic.  In  cases  of  poisoning  by  it  the  general  treatment  advised  on 
page  427  should  be  resorted  to. 

Lead . — Sugar  of  lead  and  litharge  are  both  poisonous  forms  of 
this  mineral.  Lead  poisoning  is  also  common  among  horses  and  cattle 
in  the  vicinity  of  smelting  works,  where  minute  particles  of  lead,  car- 
ried up  the  flues  of  the  furnaces,  are  blown  by  the  wind  over  the 
pastures^  and  taken  up  by  the  animals  in  eating  the  grass.  The  refuse 
of  cities,  when  used  as  a  fertilizer,  generally  contains  pieces  of  sheet 
lead  and  painted  articles  which  contaminate  the  pasturages,  and 
produce  chronic  and  fatal  lead  poisoning  in  the  stock.  The  supply  of 
water  may  also  be  charged  with  soluble  salts  of  lead  in  passing  through 
conducting  pipes  of  that  material,  and  lead  to  the  same  result. 

The  symptoms  of  lead  poisoning  are  loss  of  appetite,  staring  coat, 
arched  back,  an  anxious  expression,  with  sometimes  foaming  at  the 
mouth,  and  a  protruding  tongue.     This  is  followed  by  staggers,  which 


Treatment  of  Poisoning,  485 

may  be  dull  and  sleepy,  but  are  more  often  of  the  mad  variety,  the  ani- 
mal running  violently  and  blindly,  dashing  his  head  right  and  left,  and 
wearing  himself  out  in  desperate  and  aimless  courses.  As  a  rule  there 
are  entire  loss  of  appetite,  and  obstinate  constipation.  According  to 
some  the  gums  are  of  a  gray  or  blue  color,  owing  to  a  deposit  of  lead 
under  the  membrane. 

The  treatment  should  be  a  large  dose  of  a  purgative,  in  cattle  and 
sheep  either  Epsom  or  Glauber  salts,  aided  by  a  large,  stimulating  injec- 
tion in  the  rectum.  When  this  has  well  acted,  an  ounce  or  two  of 
iodide  of  potash,  every  day,  for  a  week,  will  counteract  the  effect  of  the 
lead  yet  in  the  system. 

Mercury. — '^e  have  already  spoken  of  the  corrosive  chloride  of 
mercury  under  Corrosive  Sublimate.  Calomel  may  also  be  given  with 
poisonous  effects,  especially  if  it  is  frequently  repeated.  The  animal  is 
salivated,  and  a  diarrhea  sets  in  which  cannot  be  checked,  and  the 
creature  dies,  from  prostration  and  low  fever.  Blue  ointment,  un- 
guentum,  or  mercurial  ointment,  is  in  some  sections  very  much  used  for 
scab,  and  to  destroy  lice  and  ticks.  Many  thousands  of  sheep  have 
been  destroyed,  or  seriously  injured  by  this  dangerous  and  needless 
remedy.  Death  often  occurs  about  the  eighth  or  ninth  day  after  the 
ointment  has  been  applied.  The  symptoms  are  of  suffocation  and  con- 
gestion of  the  lungs,  sometimes  with  salivation,  loosening  of  the  teeth, 
loss  of  appetite,  and  diarrhea.  The  treatment  of  such  a  condition  is 
the  preventive  one  of  using  some  innocent  insecticide,  a  number  of 
which  we  have  given  in  the  appropriate  place. 

Strychnine. — This  potent  and  rapid  poison  is  also  a  valuable 
medicine,  but  must  be  administered  cautiously.  Ten  grains  are  more 
than  enough  to  kill  a  horse.  The  symjDtoms  produced  are :  violent  agi- 
tation and  trembling  ;  stiffness  and  jerking  of  the  limbs  ;  violent  general 
spasms,  the  limbs  rigid,  the  back  bent,  the  respiration  checked;  inter- 
vals of  rest  occur,  but  a  slight  noise,  or  touching  the  animal,  will  excite 
the  fits  again.  Paroxysm  follows  paroxysm  until  the  animal  dies 
exhausted.  In  the  treatment,  little  can  be  done  besides  following  out 
the  general  rules  given  on  p.  427  and  keeping  the  animal  in  a  darkened 
and  roomy  box  stall,  and  perfectly  quiet. 

Tartar  Emetic. — Few  remedies  have  been  more  recklessly  ad- 
ministered in  veterinary  pharmacy  than  this  one,  and,  doubtless,  vastly 
more  harm  than  good  has  come  of  it.  It  is  actually  poisonous.  Two  to 
four  ounces  will  kill  a  horse,  though  cattle  can  sustain  twice  as  much. 
The  symptoms  of  poisoning  are,  vomiting,   diarrhea,  staggers,  thirst, 


486  Treatmeno  of  Poisoning, 

salivation,  faintness,  cold  skin,  colic,  convulsions,  palsy  and  death. 
The  stomach  and  bowels  are  inflamed,  and  the  lungs  congested.  The 
treatment  should  commence  with  full  doses  of  tannin,  powdered  oak 
bark,  gallic  acid,  or  strong  tea,  which  are  the  antidotes.  If  vomiting 
and  purging  continue,  these  should  be  followed  by  draughts  containing 
opium  or  laudanum. 


Drugs  and  Medicines,  487 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE   MOEE   IMPORTANT   DRUGS  AND   MEDICINES   USED   FOR 
ANIMALS. 

Alpliahetical  List  of  the  Most  Use/ id  Drugs,  with  their  Doses, 

Forms  of  Administration  and  Formulas. 
Classified  List  of  Drugs,  according  to  their  Action  on  the 

System,  with  Explanations, 

Drugs  are  the  physician's  tools,  and  whoever  would  qualify 
himself  for  the  physician's  business  must  obtain  a  certain 
degree  of  familiarity  with  them.  For  the  present  purpose 
this  will  not  demand  much  study.  The  actual  number  of 
drugs  which  are  of  real  and  approved  value  in  the  treatment 
of  diseases  of  stock  are  but  few.  Many  remedies  used  in 
man  must  be  omitted,  because  they  do  not  act  similarly  on 
the  lower  animals ;  many  others  must  be  passed  by,  as  they 
are  altogether  too  costly  to  administer  in  the  large  doses 
required  in  brutes. 

We  shall  describe  briefly  what  we  consider  the  most  desir- 
able remedies ;  and  to  make  their  presentation  as  clear  and 
as  convenient  as  possible,  we  shall  arrange  them,  first,  in 
alphabetical  order,  for  ready  reference ;  secondly,  classified  in 
groups,  according  to  their  action  on  the  system.  The  dose 
given  will,  when  not  otherwise  stated,  be  that  suitable  for  a 
horse;  cattle  require  about  half  as  much  again;  while  sheep 
and  pigs  should  have  about  one-third  as  much  as  a  horse. 
A  table  of  weights  and  measures  has  been  given  on  page  67. 
As  many  common  drugs  are  known  under  several  names,  all 
these  have  been  inserted,  with  references  to  the  proper  one 
used  by  apothecaries. 


488  Drugs  and  Ifedicines, 

ALPHABETICAL  LIST  OF  THE  MOST  USEFUL  DRUGS  EMPLOYED  IN 

VETEEINAEY  MEDICINE,  WITH  DOSES,  FORMS 

OF  ADMINISTRATION,  ETC. 

(The  numbers  refer  to  the  receipts  which  have  been  giren  on  previous  pages.) 

Acetate  of   Ammonia  Solution   {Spirits  of  Min- 

dererus). — Dose  2  to  4  ounces,  in  water.  An  excellent  cooling 
and  strengthening  remedy  in  feverish  and  weak  conditions.  For  fevers 
of  almost  any  kind  the  following  are  useful : — 

No.  476.  Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia, 

Epsom  salts,  of  each,  2  oz. 

Chlorate  of  potash,  1  oz. 

Water,  1  qt. 

Give  at  a  draught. 

No.  477.  Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia. 

Chlorate  of  potash. 
Tincture  of  gentian,      of  each,     1  oz. 
Water.  1  pint. 

For   an   anti-febrile  mixture,  in   influenza   and   other  low   forms   of 
fever  in  horses  and  cattle. 
Nos.  135,  163,  365. 

Acetate   of  Lead    (Sugar  of  had). — See   Lead,   acetate  of. 

Acetate  of  Zinc— see  Zinc. 

Acetic  Acid— see  Vinegar. 

Aconite,  Tincture  of  root  of  .—Dose  lo  to  20  drops ;  for 

sheep  and  pigs,  5  to  10  drops.  An  active  poison  in  large  doses.  In 
moderate  ones,  an  excellent  sedative  in  the  early  stages  of  all  acute 
inflammations  and  fevers,  such  as  pleurisy,  inflammation  of  the  lungs, 
etc.  When  hard-worked  horses  are  brought  in  with  "chill  and  sore 
throat,"  two  doses  of  aconite  and  a  mustard  plaster  to  the  throat  will 
generally  check  the  disease  promptly.  In  sharp  attacks  of  colic,  and  in 
rheumatic  fever,  if  combined  with  a  brisk  purgative  (No.  94),  it  will 
often  cure  promptly.  The  same  prescription  is  often  of  great  service  in 
beginning  lockjaw.  Applied  as  a  lotion,  it  relieves  painful  swellings, 
itching,  and  hastens  the  cure  of  grease,  mange,  and  other  skin  erup- 
tions.    A  very  good  lotion  for  such  skin  diseases  is — 

No.  478.         Tincture  of  arnica, 

"  aconite,     each,  1  oz. 

Water,  1  qt. 

The  tincture  maybe  used  hypodermically,  often  with  great  advantage, 
ihe  dose  being  about  one-third  of  that  given  by  the  mouth. 
Nos.  29,  94,  128,  156. 


Drugs  and  Medicines,  48^ 

Alcohol ■ — This,  either  pure,  or  as  whisky,  brandy,  gin,  etc.,  is 
extensively  used  against  colic,  poisoning  by  tobacco,  exhaustion  from 
disease  and  over  exertion,  great  weakness,  etc.  In  colds  and  sore 
throats  of  hard-worked  horses,  with  fever  and  weakness,  half  a  tumbler 
of  whisky  every  few  hours  will  often  restore  them.  Cows  with 
puerperal  fever,  with  weak  heart  and  cold  surface,  are  often  benefited 
by  a  tumbler  of  whisky  every  two  or  three  hours.  Alcohol  is  much 
valued  externally  as  a  lotion  to  bruises,  cuts  and  sores.  Whisky  beaten 
up  with  white  of  eggs  is  popular  as  a  preventive  of  chafing  in  parts  ex- 
posed to  rubbing,  as  under  the  saddle,  etc. 

Aloes. — Dose  5  to  6  drachms  ;  cattle  double  as  much.  Hogs  can 
bear  but  20  or  30  grains.  One  of  the  most  popular  medicines  for 
stock.  In  constipation  and  colic  it  is  best  given  in  solution,  as  a 
drench.  Small  doses  are  useful  in  indigestion  and  diarrhoea.  In 
inflammation  of  all  kinds,  whether  from  wounds  or  diseases,  a  dose  of 
aloes  generally  proves  sedative  and  soothing.  For  dropsy  and  watery 
swellings  small  and  repeated  doses  are  called  for.  It  is  a  medicine 
more  effective  in  horses  than  in  cattle,  etc.  It  should  not  be  given 
when  females  are  pregnant,  nor  when  there  are  piles ;  and  in  colds, 
influenza  and  inflammations  of  the  bowels,  it  must  be  employed  with 
caution.     Given  as  a  ball,  the  following  is  a  good  receipt : — 

No.  479.         Powdered  aloes,  5  drachms. 

Powdered  ginger,  1         " 

Soft  soap,  as  much  as  needed  to  make  a  ball. 
Aloin  is  now  much  used  instead  of  aloes.     The  dose  is  a  quarter  as 
much.     Nos.  20,  90,  98,  99,  100,  142,  153. 

Alum. — Dose  2  to  4  drachms.  Astringent  and  sedative.  Used 
in  diarrhoea  [scouring),  dysentery.  For  irritable  sore  throat  it  is  used 
with  an  atomizer  or  a  syringe.  Externally,  in  solution,  5  grains  to  the 
ounce,  it  is  a  healing  application  in  inflammation  of  the  eye  and  in  the 
sores  of  foot  and  mouth  disease.  In  powder,  it  is  effective  for  stopping 
the  oozing  of  blood  ;  mixed  with  equal  parts  of  fine,  dry  clay,  it  is  excel- 
lent, applied  to  harness  galls  and  other  surface  wounds  ;  and  in  strong 
solution  removes  the  pain  of  burns  and  scalds.     Nos.  85,  225,  2G6,  303. 

Ammonia,  Acetate  Of^see  Acetate  of  Ammonia  Solution. 

Ammonia,   Carbonate   of   [HaHshom  salt,   Smelling 

salts). — Dose  2  to  4  drachms.  A  strong  stimulant.  The  dose  maybe  given 
dissolved  in  a  half  tumbler  of  whisky,  or  made  into  a  ball  with  linseed 
meal  and  water.  Valuable  in  influenza,  erysipelas,  and  other  weaken- 
ing diseases.     Nos.  75,  333,  374. 


490  Drugs  and  Medicines, 

Ammonia,  Muriate  of  i^a^  ammomac).— Dose  3  to  6 
drachms,  given  like  the  carbonate.  Its  effects  are  similar,  but  not 
go  powerful.  Externally,  it  is  a  favorite  application  for  hot  swellings, 
bruises  and  strains.     A  good  cooling  mixture  for  this  purpose  is— 

No.  480.         Sal  ammoniac, 

Nitre,  of  each,  4  oz. 

Water,  8  oz. 

Wet  rags  with  it  and  keep  applied  to  the  part. 
Nos.  22,  247. 

Ammonia,  Spirits  of  [Liquid  ammonia,  Spirits  of  harts- 
;^oni).— Principally  used  externally.  It  gives  immediate  relief  to  bites, 
and  stings  of  gnats,  mosquitoes,  flies,  wasps,  etc.  For  snake  bites  it 
should  be  promptly  rubbed  into  the  bite.  It  is  used  in  very  many  lin- 
iments.    A  good  one  is — 

No.  481.         Spirits  of  amrnonia, 
Oil  of  turpentine. 

Water,  of  each,  1  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  4  oz. 

A  useful  stimulant  draught  for  horses  and  cattle  is — 

No.  482.         Spirits  of  ammonia. 
Sweet  spirits  of  nitre, 
Tincture  of  gentian,         of  each,       J  oz. 
Ale  or  beer,  1  quart. 

To  be  given  for  great  exhaustion  or  weakness. 
Nos.  103,  198. 

Antimony  (Tartar  emetic,  Tartarized  antimony).— J) o^e  1 
to  4  drachms;  pigs,  grains  4  to  10.  This  was  at  one  time  very 
extensively  prescribed  in  inflammatory  diseases  of  horses  and  cattle, 
but  the  best  English  authorities  say  it  is  entirely  useless  in  them.  In 
pigs  it  is  a  useful  emetic,  and  still  has  credit  when  given  in  small  doses 
(four  grains),  several  times  repeated,  for  keeping  down  inflammation. 
Tartar  emetic  ointment  is  a  strong  caustic,  but  should  not  be  used  ex- 
ternally, as  it  blemishes.     Nos.  83,  149. 

Antimony,  Blacic    or   Sulphurated.— I^sed  as  an 

alterative.     Of  uncertain  action,  and  doubtful  value.     No.  372. 

Arnica.— Used  externally  as  a  healing  remedy  in  strains,  bruises, 
wounds,    broken    knees    and    sore    shoulders.     Useful    combinations 


are- 


No.  483.         Tincture  of  arnica,  1  drachm. 

Sulphate  of  zinc,  2 

Water,  10  oz.       ' 


Drugs  and  Medicines,  491 


No.  484.         Tincture  of  arnica,  1  drachm. 

Sugar  of  lead,  1  drachm. 

Water,  10  oz. 

Arnica  is  somewhat  irritant,  and  should  be  applied  cautiously  when 
the  skin  is  broken.  Internally  it  is  valuable  in  chills  and  shivering. 
Nos.  159,  250,  348. 

Arsenic. — Dose  5  to  10  grains;  sheep,  1  to  2  grains. 
Folders  solution  is  a  popular  form  for  administering  it.  This  solution 
contains  four  grains  of  arsenic  to  the  ounce.  Very  serviceable  in  chronic 
rheumatism  and  skin  diseases.  Externally  it  enters  into  many  dipping 
mixtures  for  destroying  lice  and  other  vermin  on  sheep.  Nos.  77,  79, 
179,  182,  186,  461.     See  page  419. 

ASSafetida. — Dose,  horses,  3  drachms;  cattle,  2  ounces; 
sheep,  1  drachm.  Occasionally  given  to  horses  and  cattle,  for  colic 
and  chronic  coughs.     Nos.  104,  105,  153,  154,  324,  403. 

Belladonna. — Dose  of  the  dried  powdered  leaves,  2  ounces; 
of  the  extract,  1  to  2  drachms.  In  influenza,  sore  throat,  severe 
colds,  inflammation  of  lungs,  and  the  like,  this  is  a  valuable  remedy. 
For  sore  throat,  with  noisy  breathing  and  spasmodic  cough  in  horses, 
no  other  medicine  gives  such  immediate  relief.  Excessive  sweating, 
from  weakness,  is  promptly  checked  by  a  full  dose.  Externally  it 
relieves  irritable  and  painful  wounds,  the  raw  surface  following  frost- 
bite, cracks  from  mud  fever,  etc.  Inflammation  of  almost  any  part  of' 
the  eye  is  relieved  by  belladonna.  Its  active  principle  is  atropia.  This 
can  be  very  neatly  administered  with  the  hypodermic  syringe ;  ten 
drops,  of  a  solution  of  five  grains  of  atropia  to  the  ounce  of  water,  is 
the  proper  strength  for  a  horse,  repeated  as  necessary.  Nos.  77,  139, 
157,  165,  264,  268,  273,  274. 

Bleaching  Powder— see  Lime  chloride. 

Blistering  Ointment— see  Cantharides. 

Blue  Stone,  Blue  Vitriol— see  Copper  sulphate. 

Bole  Armenian. — -^  kind  of  clay,  used  formerly  as  a  coloring 
ingredient ;  of  no  medicinal  value. 

Borax  [Bihorate  of  Sodium). — Used  externally  as  a  wash  to 
sores  and  ulcers,  especially  in  calves  and  lambs.  The  powder  may  bo 
sprinkled  on  the  part.     It  is  a  feeble  irritant.     No.  85. 

Bromide  of  Potassium— see  Potassium. 


492  Drugs  and  Medicines. 

Calomol — ^66  Mercurials. 

Camphor. — Dose,  horses,  1  to 2 drachms ;  cattle,  2 to  4  drachms; 
sheep  and  pigs,  J  drachm.  As  a  sedative,  it  is  given  in  chronic  cough, 
colic,  diarrhea  and  influenza.  Externally,  spirits  of  camphor  are  very 
popular,  as  an  application  to  sprains,  bruises  and  wounds,  and  enter  into 
many  liniments.     Nos.  77,  78,  164,  169. 

CantharideS  {Spanish  FUeSj  Blistering  Flies). — Their  us6 
should  be  external,  chiefly.  Blisters  are  useful  in  the  later  stages  of 
inflammation,  and  in  local  watery  swellings  and  effusions.  After  an 
attack  of  pleurisy,  a  blister  will  hasten  the  disapi3earance  of  water  from 
the  chest.  For  checking  inflammation  of  the  jugular  vein,  in  a  horse, 
nothing  is  so  prompt  as  a  long,  narrow  blister  along  the  tense,  corded, 
swollen  vessel  of  the  neck.  Slow  abscesses  are  brought  to  a  head  by  a 
blister.  For  healing  obstinate,  unhealthy,  old  ulcers,  nothing  so  often 
succeeds  as  to  apjjly  a  large  blister,  covering  both  the  ulcer  and  an  inch 
or  so  of  the  flesh  around  it.  Ointments  of  cantharides  are  much  employed 
by  veterinarians  for  blistering  purposes. 

In  applying  any  blistering  preparation,  the  hair  should  first  be  shaved 
off.  The  animal  should  be  prevented  from  rubbing  and  breaking  the 
blister  when  it  rises.  On  the  second  day  after  it  has  been  applied,  the 
part  should  be  well  bathed  with  warm  water,  and  dressed  with  washed 
lard,  oil,  or  unsalted  butter.  Liniments  of  cantharides  are  used  to 
stimulate  a  part,  short  of  blistering  it.     An  average  strength  is — 

No.  485.         Powdered  cantharides,  1  oz. 

Linseed  oil,  10  oz. 

To  be  rubbed  in. 

Nos.  13,  16,  17,  18,  19,  32,  33,  167,  234,  235,  237. 

Capsicum  {Red pepper,  Cayenne  pepper) — see  Pepper. 

Carraway  Seod. — Dose  ^  oz.  Used  as  a  stomachic,  with  other 
medicines. 

Carbolic  Acid. — Dose  lO  to  40  drops ;  sheep  and  pigs,  5  to  10 
drops.  One  of  the  most  valuable  veterinary  medicines.  In  strangles, 
putrid  sore  throat,  low  fevers  and  farcy,  given  in  full  doses,  often  re- 
peated, it  greatly  lessens  the  severity  of  the  disease.  In  indigestion, 
dyspepsia  and  flatulence,  it  nearly  always  succeeds.  "Wounds  should  be 
freely  washed  with  a  one  per  cent,  solution.  Overreaches,  quittors 
and  troublesome  ulcers,  should  be  covered  with  oakum,  which  should 
be  kept  wet  with  the  solution.  For  stings,  bites,  skin  diseases  and 
parasites,  it  has  numerous  applications.     As  an  antiseptic  and  disin- 


Drugs  and  Medicines,  493 

fectant,  and  hence  a  preventive  of  disease,  it  should  be  in  every  barn 
and  stable.     Nos.  151,  220,  2-41,  279,  288,  307,  318. 

Castor  on. — ^osq  l  pint;  sheep  and  pigs,  3  to  4  oz.,  or  G  or 
8  beans.  A  mild  purgative  ;  efficient,  though  slow,  in  its  effects.  For 
young  animals,  about  the  best  purge.  When  given  to  adult  horses  or 
cattle,  it  is  best  to  combine  with  it  half  a  pound  of  Epsom  salts.  Nos. 
110,  130,  330,  376,  404. 

CatOChUa — Dose  ^  oz.  A  useful  vegetable  astringent  in  diar- 
rhea, flux,  etc.     Nos.  121,  131,  370,  387. 

Chalk — see  Lime  carbonate. 

Charcoal. — Dose  l  oz.  Used  for  indigestion  and  dyspepsia, 
with  fetid  feces.  It  can  readily  be  given  in  gruel.  Externally,  it  may 
be  dredged  or  sprinkled  on  foul  sores. 

Chloral  Hydrate. — Dose  l  to  2  ounces;  sheep  and  pigs, 
1  to  3  drachms.  One  of  the  best  agents  to  quiet  irritability  and 
produce  sleep.  Used  in  colic,  asthma,  brain  disease,  convulsions  of  all 
kinds,  etc.  A  solution  of  a  drachm  to  the  ounce  is  one  of  the  best  ap- 
plications in  obstinate  ulcers,  old  galls,  wounds,  etc.  Can  readily  be 
injected  subcutaneously.     Nos.  96,  126,  243,  377. 

Chloride  of  Lime— see  Lime. 
Chlorate  of  Potash— see  Potash. 

Chloride  of  Sodium  (Common  Salt,  Dairy  Salt) — see 
Sodium  Chloride. 

Chloroform. — Dose  1  to  2  drachms.  As  an  anodyne  in  colic, 
asthma  and  troublesome  cough.  Principally  used  as  an  anaasthetic.  For 
this  purpose  2  or  3  ounces  are  generally  sufficient  for  horses  and  cattle, 
1  to  2  ounces  for  sheep  and  pigs.  A  sjDonge  saturated  with  this  amount 
may  be  placed  in  a  nose-bag  and  fastened  to  the  head,  or  held  to  the 
nostrils.  The  animal  should  be  well  secured,  as  the  earliec  effi^ct  of 
chloroform  is  to  produce  a  state  of  excitement.  Air  must  be  allowed  to 
enter  freely  with  the  chloroform,  as  its  pure  vapor  is  poisonous.  A  safer 
though  slower  anaesthetic  is  the  mixture  No.  12. 

For  internal  use  a  mixture  called  chloric  ether  is  very  popular  in 
England.     It  is  — 

No.  486.         Chloroform,  1  part. 

Pure  alcohol,  19  parts. 


494  Drugs  and  Medicines, 

Dose,  horses,  1  ounce ;  cattle,  2  ounces ;  sheep  and  pigs,  J  ounce*, 
Mr.  Dun  says  such  a  dose,  with  half  a  teaspoonful  or  a  teaspoonfal  of 
laudanum,  diluted  with  water,  is  one  of  the  most  effectual  anti-spas- 
modics  and  nerve  soothers  he  has  ever  used.     Nos.  92,  139,  364. 

Cinchona  [Peruvian  Baric,  Quinine). — As  a  tonic  and  for 
use  in  fevers,  no  medicine  equals  the  active  principles  of  Peruvian 
bark.  Unfortunately,  quinine  is  too  dear  for  veterinary  practice. 
Cheaper  and  very  efficient  preparations  are  cinchonia  and  cinchonidia ; 
or  the  powdered  bark  itself  may  be  used.  Dose  of  quinine,  horses  and 
cattle,  20  to  40  grains ;  pigs  and  sheep,  10  grains  of  powdered  bark  j 
half  an  ounce  to  horses.  They  are  used  in  exhaustion  and  debility,  in 
scrofula,  rheumatism,  diabetes,  sheep's  rot,  influenza,  etc.  Nos.  88, 
146,  178,  194,  203,  335o 

Cod"iiv©r  OiL — Dose  4  to  8  oz.  An  excellent  tonic;  valuable 
in  exhausting  diseases,  especially  in  young  animals.     Nos.  132,  202. 

Copalva. — Dose,  as  diuretic,  J  oz.  to  1  oz.  ;  as  an  expectorant  in 
coughs,  1  or  2  oz.     No.  209. 

Copper  Sulphate  [Blue  vitriol,  Blue  Stone,  Vitriol  of  Cop- 
per).— Dose,  horses  and  cattle,  1  to  2  drachms;  sheep  and  pigs,  10  to 
20  grains.  A  tonic  and  astringent ;  used  solid  as  a  mild  caustic ;  in 
large  doses  poisonous.  Copper  sulphate  is  much  used  in  excessive 
watery  or  bloody  discharges  from  the  bowels.  In  glanders  and  exhaust- 
ing diarrheas,  it  is  one  of  the  best  remedies.  As  a  stimulant  and  caustic, 
it  is  used  on  inflamed  eyelids,  fistulous  and  slow  healing  wounds,  foot 
rot  in  sheep,  and  the  like.  Copper  subacetate,  or  verdigris,  is 
sometimes  used  like  the  sulphate,  but  is  a  more  irritant  poison,  and 
might  as  well  be  dropped.     Nos.  118,  134,  178,  180,  213,  215,  310. 

Copperas — see  Iron  Sulphate. 

Corrosive  Sublimate  {Corrosive  chloride  of  mercury) — see 
Mercurials. 

Cream  of  Tartar — see  Potash  bitartrate. 

C  reaSOtOn — Dose  20  to  40  drops.  This  is  made  from  wood  tar, 
and  is  a  useful  preparation.  It  is  used  to  check  unhealthy  discharges, 
and  as  an  antiseptic.  In  farcy,  nasal  gleet,  scouring,  etc.,  it  is  given 
internally.  Externally,  it  is  an  excellent  remedy  to  relieve  itching, 
destroy  vermin,  to  dress  foul  wounds,  and  recent  burns.  For  these  pur- 
poses it  may  be  used  as  an  ointment,  1  dr.  to  lard  1  oz.,  or  1  dr.  to 
water  I  pint.     Nos.  120,  174,  200,  326,  398. 


Drugs  and  Medicines.  495 

CfOtOn  Oil' — Dose,  for  a  horse,  20  drops;  for  cattle,  50  drops;  for 
sheep  and  swiiuc,  5  to  10  drops.  The  oil  is  made  from  the  seeds  of  the 
plant.  Ten  or  twelve  seeds  is  a  dose  for  a  horse.  A  powerful  and 
prompt  purgative,  and  externally  a  sharp  irritant,  producing  numerous 
little  pustules.  Valuable  in  fardel  bound,  and  other  forms  of  obstinate 
constipation.  Externally,  it  is  used  for  jDleurisy,  pneumonia,  chronic 
rheumatism,  obstinate  swellings  and  the  like.  It  should  not  be  applied 
to  horses,  as  it  blemishes.     Nos.  89,  91,  323,  388,  375. 

Digita^liS' — Dose  of  the  powdered  leaves,  horses,  30  grains  ;  sheep 
and  pigs,  10  grains.  Very  useful  to  reduce  temperature  at  the  outset  of 
feTers,  etc.,  to  strengthen  the  heart  when  diseased,  for  broken  wind,  and 
to  reduce  dropsy.  It  acts  on  the  kidneys  promptly.  It  may  also  be 
given  in  an  infusion  from  the  leaves  (1  drachm  of  the  leaves  to  a  pint  of 
cold  water),  and  the  active  principle  of  the  jjlant,  digitalin,  is  very  con- 
venient for  hypodermic  use,  about  one-twentieth  of  a  grain,  repeated  as 
needed.  The  effects  of  digitalis  are  rather  slow,  not  being  visible  some- 
times for  10  or  12  hours.     Nos.  76,  82,  155,  167,320,  434. 

Epsom  Salts  {Sulphate  of  maguesia)~sGe  Magnesium  sul- 
phate. 

Ergot. — The  spur  of  diseased  rye.  Used  both  to  hasten  and 
facilitate  the  birth  of  animals,  and  to  prevent  abortion  in  dropping. 
Dose,  for  a  mare  or  cow,  1  oz.  ;  for  sheep  and  swine,  1  drachm.  A 
simple  decoction,  swallowed,  dregs  and  all,  is  the  best  form  for  veteri- 
nary  practice.  Ergot  is  also  useful  in  bleeding  from  the  lungs,  nose, 
stomach  or  bowels.  For  this  purpose  it  is  best  given  by  hyijodermic 
injection  of  its  active  principle,  ergotiu,  in  five-grain  doses,  in  solution, 
repeated  as  often  as  necessary.     Nos.  24,  405.     Page  325. 

Ether  {Sulphuric  ether). — Used  as  an  anaesthetic  and  stimulant. 
As  an  anassthetic,  the  mixture  recommended  under  chloroform  is  better 
than  ether  alone.  As  a  prompt  and  diffusible  stimulant,  the  dose  is, 
for  horses  and  cattle,  2  ozs.  ;  for  sheep  and  pigs,  I  oz.  It  is  called  for 
in  the  chills  and  shiverings  which  often  usher  in  diseases,  and  is 
especially  called  for  in  hard-worked  horses  in  town,  when  struck  down 
by  influenza,  etc.  It  relieves  cramps,  colic,  stomach  staggers  and 
fainting  fits.     Nos.  12,  28,  95,  98,  102,  319. 

Fen  nel  Seed . — Dose  l  to  2  oz.  Used  as  a  stomachic,  with  other 
medicines. 

Callic  Add.— Dose  J  oz.  a  popular  vegetable  astringent,  ia 
diarrhea,  etc.     Nos.  122,  302. 


496  Drugs  and  Medicines, 

Cingor. — Dose  J  to  1  oz.  of  tlie  powder,  1  draclini  of  tlie  essence. 
A  useful  stimulant  and  stomachic,  in  colic,  diarrhea  and  exhaustion. 
Much  employed  in  combination  with  other  medicines,  to  prevent  griping 
and  render  them  more  acceptable  to  the  stomach.     Nos.  121,  335. 

Contisn. — One  of  the  most  esteemed  vegetable  tonics.  Dose  of 
the  powder  J  oz.  to  1  oz.     Nos.  86,  123,  189,196,  337. 

CISIUber  S^ltS — see  Soda,  sulphate  of. 

ClyCCrinO  is  a  cleanly  and  useful  application  for  sores  and  galls. 
In  cracked  heels,  sore  mouths,  harness  galls  and  the  like,  it  should  be 
diluted  and  mixed  with  tannin,  as  follows : — 

No.  487.         Glycerine,  8  oz. 

Starch,  1  oz. 

Tannic  acid,  ^  oz. 

The  following  is  an  excellent  application  to  sores,  old  galls,  burns 
or  foul  wounds : — 

No.  488.         Glycerine, 

"Water,  of  each,  4  oz. 

Carbolic  acid,  ^  oz. 

To  be  painted  on  with  a  brush. 

Cu^lEICUm. — Used  as  an  expectorant;  one  of  the  best,  in  the 
lower  animals.     Nos.  66,  321. 

Hartshorn — see  Ammonia. 

Hellebore,  White. — Used  as  an  irritant.   No.  14. 

Iodide  of  Potassium — see  Potassium,  iodide  of. 

Iodine. — Usually  employed  as  the  tincture.  Dose  30  to  60  drops, 
on  an  empty  stomach.  Generally  used  externally,  painted  on  the  skin, 
to  reduce  swellings  of  the  joints,  strains,  hardenings  of  the  udder,  cold 
abscesses,  scrofulous  glands,  skin  diseases,  and  for  indolent  ulcers  and 
unhealthy  wounds.     Nos.  81,  170,  172,  183,  202,  238,  253,  255,  815,  426. 

Iron,  Chloride  of. — The  tincture  of  the  chloride  of  iron  is  an 
efficient  tonic,  astringent  and  alterative.  The  dose  is  ^  oz.,  well  diluted, 
Nos.  74,  117,  188,  203. 

Iron  Sulphate  [(rreen  vitriol,  copperas). — Horses,  2to8drs. 
Sheep,  20  grs.  Astringent  and  tonic.  Can  be  mixed  with  soft  food  and 
given  several  times  daily,  where  there  is  want  of  tone  of  the  system  and  tor- 
pidity of  the  bowels.  It  is  a  cheap  and  efficient  tonic,  but  turns  the  feces 
of  a  black  color,  and  gives  them  a  disagreeable  odor.     After  it  has  been 


Drugs  and  Medicines,  497 

given  five  or  six  days,  it  should  be  suspended  for  a  few  days,  so  as  tc 
avoid  irritating  the  stomach.     Nos.  2,  152,  161,  176,  205,  322,  423,  428. 

Ipecacuanha. — I^ose  \  oz.  A  diaphoretic  and  expectorant. 
Useful  in  dysentery.  Not  very  efficacious  in  the  herbivora.  Nos.  67j 
137. 

Laudanum— see  Opium. 

Lead  Acetate  [Sugar  of  lead), — Dose  1  drachm ;  calves, 
sheep,  pigs,  10  to  15  grs.  Used  to  check  bleeding  from  the  lungs  and 
bowels,  profuse  scouring,  red  water,  etc.,  especially  when  combined 
with  opium.  Externally,  5  or  10  grains  dissolved  in  an  ounce  of  water, 
it  is  excellent  to  soothe  and  heal  burns,  bruises,  irritable  and  moist 
ulcers ;  to  cool  and  relieve  inflamed  tendons,  moist  skin  diseases,  and 
cracked  and  itching  skin  diseases.  It  has  been  often  used  as  an  eye 
•wash,  but  for  this  it  is  not  suitable,  as  the  lead  is  apt  to  leave  a  perma- 
nent stain  or  film  on  the  eye,  over  the  cornea.  Nos.  119,  226,  227,  228, 
248. 

LimCy  Lime  ^SitOr  {Calcium  oxide,  quicklime,  aquacalcis). — 
Lime  is  irritant,  corrosive  and  antacid.  Lime  water  is  made  by  briskly 
stirring  four  ounces  of  freshly  burned  lime  in  a  gallon  of  water,  letting  it 
settle,  and  pouring  off  the  clear  solution.  It  is  an  excellent  antacid  in 
indigestion,  hoven,  and  diarrhea  in  cattle  and  calves.  Dose  2  to  6  ozs. 
Mixed  with  linseed  oil,  in  equal  parts,  it  is  one  of  the  best  applications 
in  burns  and  scalds,  and  in  watery  and  itching  skin  diseases.  Powdered 
slaked  lime  is  used  as  an  antacid.  Dose  1  dr.,  mixed  with  moist  food. 
Nos.  265,  385. 

Lime  Carbonate  (Calcium  carbonate.  ChaTJc). — Dose, 
horses,  1  to  2  ozs.  ;  sheep,  pigs,  2  to  4  drs.  One  of  the  cheapest  and 
most  convenient  antacids,  much  used  in  indigestion,  chronic  diarrhea, 
and  dysentery.  May  be  given  in  milk  or  moist  feed.  Nos.  113,  116, 
120,  121,  133,  385. 

Lime  Chloride  [Chlorinated  Ume,  bleaching  powder). — Prin- 
cipally used  as  a  disinfectant.  Scattered  about  the  stable,  it  keeps  away 
flies,  rats  and  mice.  Used  externally  for  unhealthy  wounds,  mange  and 
grease.  Of  little  or  no  value  internally.  It  may  be  advantageously 
mixed  with  equal  parts  of  powdered  sulphur.     Nos.  3,  231,  312. 

Lunar  Caustic— see  Silver  nitrate. 

Lobelia  Inflata  [Indian  tobacco). — Used  as  a  nauscant  and  de- 


498  Drugs  and  Medicines, 

pressant  in  nervous  excitement,  lockjaw,  mad  staggers,  etc.     Dose  of 
the  tincture,  1  ounce. 

Linseed. — Valuable  as  a  diet.     Nos.  5,  6. 

Linseed  Oil-— I^ose,  as  a  cathartic,  1  to  2  pints.  A  bland  and 
unirritating  purge,  useful  in  young  and  weakly  animals.  Often  valuable 
In  choking  in  cattle.     Externally  it  is  a  soothing  dressing.     Nos.  89,  91. 

Magnesia,  Suiphate  of  [Epsom  salts,  Sulphate  of  mag- 
nesia).—Do^Q,  as  a  purgative  in  cattle,  1  to  2  pounds ;  calves,  sheep  and 
pigs,  3  to  6  ounces.  A  popular  febrifuge,  purgative  and  alterative,  but 
not  desirable  as  a  purge  for  horses,  as  it  sometimes  acts  very  violently 
on  them.  It  is,  however,  valuable  to  them  in  small  doses,  repeated,  say 
1  to  2  ounces,  several  times  a  day,  to  ''cool  the  blood,"  in  influenza, 
pneumonia,  and,  indeed,  most  febrile  inflammatory  disorders.  It  should 
be  given  in  ten  or  fifteen  times  the  quantity  of  water,  and  mixing  it 
with  molasses  and  ginger  will  nearly  conceal  the  taste,  and  allow  of 
giving  it  in  soft  food.     Nos.  144,  145,  331,  332. 

MerCUriaiS. — Mercury  or  quicksilver  is  used  as  Mercurial  oint- 
ment, Mercurial  liniment,  Mercury  with  chalk  {Gray  Powder),  Bed 
Precipitate  {Red  Oxide  of  Mercury),  Calomel  {Mild  Chloride  of  mer- 
cury), Corrosive  sublimate  {Corrosive  Chloride  of  mercury)  and  Citrine 
ointment  {ointment  of  Nitrate  of  Mercury).— 0^  these  we  may  use  in- 
ternally, mercury  with  chalk,  dose  15  to  20  grains,  in  indigestion  and 
diarrhea  in  young  calves ;  but  calomel,  dose  30  to  60  grains,  is  gen- 
erally preferred,  combined  with  chalk,  magnesia  or  opium.  Calomel  is 
much  less  used  now  than  formerly,  and  is  mostly  confined  to  some 
diseases  of  the  stomach  and  bowels.  Corrosive  sublimate  is  a  very 
valuable  internal  remedy  in  arresting  the  slimy,  bloody  discharges  of 
chronic  dysentery  in  cattle.  Dose,  horses  and  cattle,  5  to  8  grains  ; 
sheep  and  pigs,  1  grain.  Externally  mercurial  ointment  is  used  as  a 
stimulant  for  old  sores,  ulcers  and  swellings,  and  for  destroying  lice  and 
vermin.  But  for  the  latter  purpose  other  agents  are  better,  as  the  mer- 
cury is  apt  to  be  absorbed,  and  to  poison  the  animal.  A  weak  solution 
of  corrosive  sublimate,  20  grains  to  the  pint  of  water,  is  used  for  the 
same  purpose.  Citrine  ointment  is  used  in  chronic  skin  diseases,  ring- 
worm, etc.,  but  is  easily  absorbed,  and  must  be  cautiously  used.  Nos. 
76,  90,  147,  162,  186,  194,  234,  236,  239,  350,  383. 

Muriatic  Acid  {EydrocUoric  acid.  Spirit  of  salt).— Dose  of 
the  diluted  medicinal  acid  1  to  2  drachms,  in  a  quart  of  water.  An  ex- 
cellent remedy,  given  with  the  food,  in  indigestion  in  lambs  and  calves 


Drugs  and  Medicines,  499 

and  in  weak  animals  without  appetite,  and  which  do  not  thrive  ;  also  in 
febrile  and  exhausting  diseases,  and  in  hemorrhages.  May  be  advan- 
tageously combined  with  iron,  gentian,  Peruvian  bark  or  other  bitters. 
Externally,  the  strong  acid  is  a  powerful  caustic ;  diluted,  it  may  be 
applied  to  ulcers  with  proud  flesh  ;  and  as  a  cheap  and  penetrating  dis- 
infectant, it  is  suitable  for  pouring  on  carcases  of  diseased  animals  which 
have  died  of  contagious  diseases.     No.  141. 

Mustard  {Sinapis), —Do^q  ^  oz.  Best  given  as  a  pill  or  ball. 
A  stomachic  and  mild  stimulant,  in  colic,  cramps,  dyspepsia,  etc. 
Principally  used  externally,  as  the  popular  ''mustard  plaster."  For 
ordinary  purposes,  it  may  be  mixed  with  tepid  water;  mixed  with 
whisky  or  vinegar,  the  action  is  slower ;  with  turpentine  or  spirits  of 
ammonia,  the  action  is  much  more  prompt  and  severe.  The  oil  of  mus- 
tard rubbed  in  is  a  strong  blistering  fluid.  For  all  domestic  animals, 
mustard  plasters  are  admirable  means  of  reducing  inflammations,  reliev- 
ing pain,  lessening  swellings  and  stimulating  parts.     Nos.  190,  395. 

Nitre  {titrate  of  Potash) — see  Potash  nitrate. 

Nitrate  of  Silver  [Lunar  camtic)—see  Silver  Nitrate. 

Nitric  Acid  (Aqua  fortis).— Dose  of  the  dilute  medicinal  acid 
1  to  2  drs.,  well  diluted.  Internally  a  stimulant  and  antiseptic,  useful  in 
dyspepsia,  low  fever,  and  diarrhea.  The  strong  acid  is  used  as  a  caustic 
for  removing  warts,  proud  flesh,  etc.  It  is  generally  applied  on  a  splinter 
of  soft  wood.  A  drachm  of  the  strong  acid  to  a  pint  of  water  is  a  valu- 
able wash  for  foul  sores,  old  ulcers,  foot  rot,  and  sloughing  wounds.  It 
is  also  serviceable  in  abating  itching,  nettle  rash  and  mange.     No.  229. 

NUX  Vomica  and  Strychnine  (>S^^rycAma).— strych- 
nine is  the  active  principle  of  the  plant  nux  vomica.  The  dose  of  the 
powdered  nux  is,  for  horses,  1  dr.,  cattle,  2  drs.,  sheep  and  pigs,  20grs., 
given  in  a  ball.  Far  more  convenient  is  strychnine  used  with  the  hypo- 
dermic syringe,  as — 

No.  489.         Strychnine,  '  5  grains. 

Water,  6  drachms. 

Alcohol,  2  drachms. 

Of  this  ten  drops  contain  one-tenth  of  a  grain  of  strychnine,  and  20 
or  30  drops  m*y  be  thrown  at  one  time  under  the  skin  of  the 
horse. 

Internally,  a  horse  may  take  2  grains  of  strychnine.  Both  nux  and 
strychnia  are  of  unequaled  value  in  stiffened  and  partly  paralyzed  ani* 
mals.     To  be  used  with  advantage,  they  must  be  continued  and  the  dos© 


500  Drugs  and  Medicines, 

increased,  until  the  animal  has  twitchings  of  the  muscles,  usually  first 
noticed  at  night.     Nos.  31,  86,  146,  157.  ' 

Oilof  Tar— seeTar. 

Oil  of  Vitriol — see  Sulphuric  acid. 

Olive    Oil    {Sweet  oil.) — Laxative  and  demulcent.     Dose    1  to  3 

pints. 

Opium  is  employed  principally  as  powdered  opium,  laudanum, 
{tincture  of  opium),  and  morphine,  which  is  one  of  its  active  principles. 
Horses  and  cattle  can  take  2  drachms  of  powdered  opium,  or  3  or  4  ozs. 
of  laudanum,  or  5  to  10  grains  of  morphia  at  a  dose.  An  invaluable 
means  of  giving  an  opiate  is  to  inject  one  or  two  grains  of  morphia  under 
the  skin.  Calves,  sheep  and  pigs  about  one- sixth  of  these  doses.  Hardly 
any  drug  has  more  uses  than  opium.  It  is  a  stimulant  in  exhaustion  and 
weakness,  it  allays  pain  and  restlessness,  it  checks  excessive  secretion 
and  vomiting,  it  relieves  the  spasms  of  colic,  dysentery,  lockjaw  and 
many  convulsive  diseases.  It  should  not  be  given  in  active  inflamma- 
tion, when  the  skin  is  hot  and  dry,  and  the  pulse  strong,  in  inflamma- 
tion of  the  brain,  nor  in  obstinate  constipation.  Nor  is  it  considered 
safe  in  diseases  of  the  lungs,  when  the  breathing  is  shallow  and  rapid. 
When  an  animal  is  suddenly  taken  with  shivering  and  chills,  a  full  dose 
of  opium  will  often  cut  short  the  impending  disease.  At  the  very  com- 
mencement of  a  cold,  when  the  nostrils  begin  to  run,  a  similar  treatment 
will  abort  the  attack.     Nos.  73,  76,  78,  118,  119,  120,  124,  169,  etc. 

Morphia— see  Opium. 

Pepper,  Black  and  Red  {Capsicum,  Cayenne  pepper).— 
Dose  2  to  3  drachms.  Used  in  indigestion  and  colic,  and  sometimes  as 
a  plaster  or  liniment  on  the  skin.     Less  esteemed  now  than  formerly. 

Petroleum  {Rock  oil,  Seneca  oil,  etc). — The  crude  oil  should  be 
used  only  as  an  external  application  to  galls,  cuts,  bruises,  scratches, 
etc.  Internally,  kerosene  and  benzine  are  valuable  in  coughs,  colds, 
croups,  colics  and  intestinal  obstruction.  Dose  1  to  4  ounces.  Benzine 
is  said  to  prevent  trichinae  in  hogs.     Kerosene  destroys  lice. 

Peruvian  Baric— see  Cinchona. 

Podophyllin  {'The  active  principle  of  tlie  May  apple  or  Hog 
apple). — Dose,  1  to  3  drachms.  This  is  an  active  purgative  in  man,  but 
has  little  effect  on  the  lower  animals.  It  is  said  to  be  a  sedative  to  the 
heart.     No.  337. 


Drugs  and  Medicines,  501 

Potash,  Bitartrate  of  {Cream  of  tartar).— Coolmg,  laxa- 
tive and  diuretic.  Dose  2  or  3  ounces,  well  diluted  in  water.  Nos.  108. 
IGl.  ' 

.    Potash,   Bromide  of.— I^ose  J  ounce  to  l  ounce.     A  seda- 
tive,  to  allay  nervous  excitement.     Nos.  25,  187. 

Potash,   Bicarbonate  and  Carbonate.— Dose  J 

ounce  to  1  ounce.     An  alkali,  sometimes  used  in  indigestion. 

Potash,  Iodide  of.— Dose  ^  ounce  to  1  ounce.  Prescribed 
in  chronic  rheumatism,  scrofulous  enlargements,  chronic  coughs,  and  to 
cause  absorption  in  pleurisy  and  inflammation  of  the  lungs.     Nos.  75, 


Potash,  Nitrate  of 

ounce.  An  alterative,  febrifuge  and  diuretic.  Much  used  in  condition 
powders,  febrile  complaints,  dropsy  and  inflammations.  Externally,  it 
is  added  to  cooling  lotions.     Nos.  78,  79,  100. 

Potash,  Chlorate  of.— Dose  2  to  4  drachms.  Useful  in 
fevers,  inflammation  and  sore  throats.  Externally  as  a  wash  to  foul 
ulcers,  etc.     Nos.  66,  84,  106,  311. 

Quinine — see  Cinchona. 

Salicylic  Acid. — Dose,  l  to  2  drachms.  A  valuable  antiseptic 
and  febrifuge.  In  all  descriptions  of  wounds  it  arrests  putrefaction, 
lessens  pain  and  hastens  healing.  A  convenient  solution  for  external 
use  is  — 


No.  490.          Salicylic  acid. 

Borax, 

each, 

10  grains. 

Water, 

1  oz. 

Apply  on  rags,  tow  or  oakum. 

In  acute  rheumatic  fever  the  dose  above  given,  repeated  three  or  four 
times  a  day,  will  generally  greatly  hasten  the  cure.     No.  192. 

Saltpetre — see  Potash  nitrate. 

Silver,  Nitrate  of  {Lunar  caustic). — Dose,  internally,  5  to  6 
grains,  made  into  a  ball.  For  external  purposes  small  sticks  of  the  fused 
nitrate  are  sold  ;  or  an  ointment  may  be  made,  5  to  10  grains  to  the  ounce 
of  water ;  or  a  solution,  of  any  desired  strength.  The  antidote  is  common 
salt,  which  should  be  at  hand  to  check  the  over-action  of  the  caustic. 
Internally,  it  is  a  tonic,  stimulant  and  astringent,  useful  in  diarrhea, 
dysentery,  cholera  and  wasting  fevers.     It  is  generally  used  externally. 


502  Drugs  and  Medicines, 

As  a  caustic  it  removes  proud  flesh,  warts  and  angleberries,  and  freshens 
the  surface  of  obstinate  sores.  For  sore  teats,  foot  rot  and  the  like,  it  is 
an  excellent  application.     Nos.  27,  129,  224. 

SoSiPa — Common  soft  soap,  well  rubbed  in  several  times,  is  often  a 
cure  of  skin  disease.  It  is  also  popular  in  clysters  and  liniments.  Hard 
soap  is  much  employed  in  making  liniments,  ointments,  balls,  etc.  Nos. 
207,  209. 

Soda,  Bicarbonate  of  {BaMng  socZa).— Dose  J  to  1  oz. 
An  excellent  alkali.     Nos.  86,  123,  192. 

Soda  Bisulphite  of- — I^ose  ^  to  l  oz.,  as  a  disinfectant  inter- 
naUy.     Nos.  113,  281,  313. 

Soda,  Chloride  of  {Common  salt). — Dose,  as  a  purgative  to 
the  ox,  1  lb.;  sheep,  1  to  3  ozs.  In  large  doses  salt  is  an  efficient  purga- 
tive for  these  animals,  but  should  not  be  given  for  this  purpose  to  the 
horse,  as  its  action  is  uncertain  and  violent.  In  small  doses  it  is  a 
digestive  stimulant  and  stomachic.     Nos.  87,  151. 

Spanish   Flies— see  Cantharides. 

Strychnine. — I^ose  3  to  4  grains  to  a  horse.  A  poweriul  tonic 
and  nervous  stimulant.     Nos.  30,  80. 

Sugar  of  Lead — see  Lead  acetate. 

Sulphate  of  Magnesia— see  Magnesium  sulphate. 

Sulphate  of  Strychnia. 

Sulphur  {Brimstone). — Dose,  as  a  laxative,  4  to  6  ozs.  ;  as  an 
alterative,  1  to  2  ozs.  Its  value  as  such  is  not  very  great.  Externally, 
sulphur  ointments  are  very  popular  for  vermin  and  parasitic  skin  dis- 
eases.    Nos.  108,  161,  190,  283,  290,  291,  351. 

Sulphuric  Acid  {Oil  of  vitriol).— Dose  of  the  medicinal  acid 
1  to  2  drachms  ;  as  an  external  wash  20  drops  of  the  strong  acid  to  1 
oz.  of  water.  Used  in  a  similar  manner  to  Nitric  and  Muriatic  acids, 
which  see.     Nos.  4,  184,  191,  216,  363. 

Sulphurous  Acid. — Dose  of  the  medicinal  solution  1  to  2  ozs. 
One  of  the  cheapest  and  best  antiseptics.  The  acid  is  evolved  in  a 
gaseous  state  by  burning  sulphur.  Flour  of  sulphur  sprinkled  on  a 
shovelful  of  hot  coals  will  evolve  it  rapidly,  and  a  stable  can  thua  be 


Drugs  and  Medicines,  503 

thoronghly  purified.      The   medicinal   acid   is  an   excellent  soottine 
application  to  irritable  wounds.  It  can  be  used  with  the  atomizer.  No.  1 

Sweet  Oil — see  Olive  oil. 

Sweet  Spirits  of  Nitre. — Dose  l  to  2  ozs.  A  stimulant, 
diuretic  and  antiseptic.  Valuable  in  indigestion,  colic,  low  fever, 
inflammatory  diseases  and  kidney  disorders. 

Tannic  Acid. — Dose  10  to  20  grains.  A  powerful  astringent 
in  diarrhea  and  mucous  discharges.  Used  as  an  injection  for  the  whites, 
to  relaxed  membranes.     Nos.  69,  115,  125. 

Tar. — Largely  used  as  an  external  dressing  to  wounds,  chaps,  galls, 
mallenders,  grease,  ringworm,  foot  rot,  etc.  -  Internally,  it  is  a  vermi- 
fuge, and  benefits  chronic  cough.  Dose  5^  to  2  ozs.  Tar  ointment  is 
made  by  mixing  equal  parts  of  tar  and  lard  at  a  gentle  heat ;  tar  water ^ 
by  pouring  a  gallon  of  boiling  water  on  a  pint  of  tar,  stirring  and  letting 
it  settle.  Oil  of  tar  is  an  impure  turpentine,  obtained  from  distilling 
tar ;  it  is  used  for  sheep  dips,  etc.  It  is  an  excellent  antiseptic.  Nos. 
212,  216,  246,  293,  285. 

Tartar  Emetic— see  Antimony. 

Tobacco* — Dose  1  to  2  drachms,  dissolved  in  hot  water.  As  a 
relaxer  of  the  muscles,  tobacco  is  used  in  colic  and  obstinate  constipa- 
tion, tetanus,  and  convulsions.  Externally,  it  is  popular  as  a  destroyer 
of  fleas,  ticks  and  lice.     Nos.  294,  297. 

Turpentine  (^^'^  of  turpentine^  Spirit  of  turpentine). — Dose  i 
to  2  ozs.  A  valuable  stimulant,  antispasmodic,  diuretic  and  vermifuge. 
But  administered  mixed  with  olive  or  linseed  oil,  or  shaken  up  with 
milk,  gruel,  or  white  of  eggs  and  water.  Largely  used  in  indigestion, 
colic,  worms,  coughs,  rheumatism,  low  fever,  etc.  Externally,  as  a  lini- 
ment in  rheumatic  swellings,  sprains,  bruises,  frost  bite,  vermin,  ce.t 
It  should  not  be  used  where  there  is  high  fever,  or  irritation  of  the 
bowels  or  urinary  organs.     Nos.  70,  90,  91,  94,  148,  150,  207,  208,  388. 

Veratrum  Viride  (i^^  Water  hemlock)  is  highly  esteemed  by 
€ome  to  reduce  the  pulse  and  fever  in  acute  inflammations.  Dose  ^  oz. 
of  the  saturated  tincture. 

Verdigris — see  Copper  subacetate. 

Vinegar. — Principally  used  externally  as  a  convenient  stimulant 
in  strains,  bruises  and  superficial  inflamtaations.     As  acei-ic  acid  a  dis- 


504  Drugs  and  Medicines, 

tilled  and  concentrated  vinegar  is  sold  by  druggists ;  dose  1  to  2 
draclims,  -well  diluted.  It  is  used  as  a  cooling  addition  to  drinks,  and  a4 
an  antidote  to  alkalies.     Nos.  174,  218. 

Vitrioly   Blue — see  Copper  sulphate. 

Vitriol 9  Green— see  iron  sulphate. 

Vitriol,  White— see  Zinc  sulphate. 

Zinc  Chloride  [Butter  of  zinc). — A  powerful  caustic,  used 
externally  in  foot  rot,  malignant  growths,  and  the  like.  Dissolved,  5 
grains  to  the  ounce  of  water,  it  is  a  capital  wash  to  destroy  vermin  and 
disinfect  foul  wounds.     Nos.  177,  217. 

Zinc  Oxide. — {Flowers  of  zinc.)  An  excellent  drying  powder 
for  weeping  surfaces,  moist  skin  diseases  and  chafes.  An  ointment  of 
1  drachm  to  lard  1  ounce  is  one  of  the  most  soothing  to  irritated 
surfaces.     Nos.  227,  267. 

Zinc  Sulphate — [White  vitriol).  Principally  used  externally 
as  a  stimulant  and  astringent  in  weak  wounds,  foul  ulcers,  ophthalmia, 
chronic  skin  diseases,  etc.  The  solution  is  usually  made  of  5  or  10 
grains  to  the  ounce  of  water.  Also  as  -a  disinfectant.  Nos.  2,  26,  185, 
218  270. 


CLASSIFIED  LIST  OF  DRUGS, 

ACCORDING    TO    THEIR    ACTION    ON    THE    SYSTEM,     WITH 
EXPLANATIONS  AND   FORMULAS. 

"When  we  wish  to  bring  about  a  particular  effect  on  the 
system  we  select  as  medicines  those  agents  which  experience 
has  shown  to  produce  the  desired  action ;  and  with  this  end 
in  view,  drugs  have  been  arranged  in  classes,  with  reference 
to  their  specific  or  peculiar  action.  The  practical  utility  of 
such  an  arrangement  will  be  obvious;  and  for  that  reason 
we  give  below  a  scheme  of  the  kind,  omitting  various  minor 
divisions  of  no  great  importance. 

ALTEEATIVES. 

These  are  medicines  which  alter  or  correct  some  faulty  condition  of 
the  blood  or  secretions.  They  are  used  when  animals  are  "  out  of  con- 
dition," and  in  scrofula,  rheumatism,  distemper,  anaemia^  and  chronic 
diseases  generally.     The  principal  alteratives  are  ;^ 

Mercury  and  its  preparations. 

Iodine  and  its  preparations. 

Arsenic. 

Sulphur. 

The  Salines  (Nitre,  Epsom,  Glauber  and  Common  Salt). 

Alkalies  (Potash,  Soda,  Lime). 

Vegetable  alteratives  (Podophyllin,  Poke). 

Mercury^  in  the  form  of  calomel,  was  formerly  much  more  largely 
employed  than  it  is  now.  Nevertheless,  in  the  commencement  of  some 
acute  diseases,  and  also  where  an  active  fillip  to  the  liver  is  required,  it 
is  a  valuable  remedy. 

Iodine  is  used  principally  in  the  form  of  the  iodide  of  potash. 

505 


606  Qassified  List  of  Drugs, 

Arsenic  is  very  lilgHy  esteemed.  Its  most  convenient  form  ib  Fowler' s 
solution  of  arsenic,  one  ounce  of  which  is  the  average  dose  for  a  horse. 

The  Salines  and  Alkalies  increase  the  discharge  from  the  kidneys, 
bowels  and  skin.  They  may  often  be  advantageously  combined  with 
sulphur,  as — • 

No.  491.        Nitre, 

Sal  ammoniac,  of  each        1  drachm. 

Sulphur,  flowers  of  1  oz. 

Mix  with  gruel,  oil,  milk,  or  molasses  and  water,  for  a  draught. 
Other  alterative  receipts  are  Nos.  181,  182,  183,  461,  462. 

A1T.SSTHETICS. 

These  are  given  for  the  purpose  of  benumbing  the  senses  and  prevent' 
ing  pain.     The  two  most  important  ones  are — • 
Chloroform,  and 
Ether. 
The  method  of  administering  them  will  be  found  on  page  61. 

ASTEINGE2STS. 

This  class  of  medicines  are  used  to  check  excessive  discharges,  especially 
from  the  bowels,  and  also  to  stay  bleeding.  The  principal  astringents 
are — 

Alum, 

Acetate  of  lead, 

Tannic  and  gallic  acids  and  vegetables  containing  them, 

The  mineral  acids, 

Ergot. 

They  should  not  be  used  when  there  is  extensive  inflammation  and 
high  fever ;  nor  is  it  well  to  give  them  at  the  outset  of  many  complaints, 
as  diarrhea,  for  instance,  as  the  increased  discharge  is  often  an  eff'ort  of 
nature  to  relieve  the  system  of  irritating  substances.  Formulas  for 
astringents  will  be  found  on  pages  138,  139,  144,  145,  337,  370. 

CAUSTICS. 

These  are  required  to  destroy  ''proud  flesh;"  to  kill  the  virus  in 
poisoned  wounds  ;  to  stimulate  old  ulcers  and  destroy  sloughs  ;  to  excite 
healthy  action  in  fistulas  ;  to  remove  warts  and  tumors  ;  and  the  like. 
The  most  important  are— 


Classified  List  of  Drugs.  507 

Nitrate  of  silver  (lunar  caustic), 

Nitrate  of  mercury, 

Nitric  acid, 

Chloride  of  zinc, 

Butter  of  antimony, 

The  hot  iron. 

The  nitrate  of  silver  and  chloride  of  zinc  can  be  bought  in  pencils, 
which  can  be  placed  in  holders  and  used  very  conveniently.  The  first 
mentioned  is  the  most  popular  of  all  the  caustics. 

Nitric  acid  is  very  valuable  for  limited  but  powerful  impression.  It 
is  readily  applied  by  dipping  the  end  of  a  match  or  a  larger  piece  of 
wood  in  the  fuming  acid,  and  applying  it  to  the  part.  The  pain  is 
intense,  but  of  short  duration. 

Butter  of  antimony  is  rejected  by  some  surgeons  but  is  very  highly 
esteemed  by  others  (see  page  359). 

The  liot  iron  is  an  efficient  and  powerful  caustic,  too  little  used  now- 
adays owing  to  a  weak  sentimentality. 

Caustic  solutions  and  formulas  are  given,  Nos.  215,  216,  217,  220, 
221,  etc. 

COTTNTER-IRRITANTS. 

This  class  includes  rubefacients,  which  redden  the  skin ;  vesicants, 
which  raise  blisters ;  and  suppurants,  which  produce  sores  on  the 
surface.     The  principal  ones  are — 


Alcohol, 
Turpentine, 
Ammonia, 
Mustard, 


Rubefacients. 


Cantharides,  "] 

Boiling  water,  I  Vesicants 

Iron  at  212° 


Tartar  emetic  ointment,       j        PP  •  I 

All  these  agents,  by  setting  up  an  inflammation  on  the  surface  at  no 
great  distance  from  an  internal  one,  withdraw  from  it  some  of  the  blood 
and  serum  which  surrounds  it,  and  thus  diminish  its  intensity.  They  are 
of  frequent  service  in  almost  all  attacks  of  congestion  and  inflammation 
of  the  internal  organs,  of  the  bones,  joints  and  deep  tissues.  Even  in 
influenza,  fevers,  and  other  general  disorders  of  a  depressing  character, 
an  active  rubefacient,  such  as  a  mustard  paste,  well  rubbed  into  the  legs 


.508  Classified  List  of  Drugs, 

and  washed  off  in  five  or  ten  minutes,  is  of  much  benefit  in  reducing  the 
temperature  and  stimulating  the  powers. 

Counter-irritants  should  not  be  placed  too  near  the  affected  parts  ; 
nor  should  vesicants  be  used  when  inflammation  is  high.  Suppurants 
are  valuable  for  old  chronic  complaints. 

For  directions  for  blistering  see  page  68 ;  and  for  various  formulas 
for  counter-irritants  see  under  Cantharides,  p.  440. 

DEMULCENTS. 

These  are  gummy,  or  glutinous  solutions,  intended  to  soothe  and  coat 
inflamed  surfaces.  They  are  of  great  value  in  inflammations  of  the 
membranes  of  the  throat,  stomach  and  bowels,  in  kidney  diseases,  and 
other  irritable  conditions.     The  principal  demulcents  are — 

Linseed  tea. 
Slippery  elm  bark  tea. 
Gum  arable  water. 
Starch  water. 
Sweet  oil. 

All  of  these  are  serviceable,  and  the  two  first  mentioned  are  par- 
ticularly so,  as  they  are  both  excellent  and  cheap.  Examples  of  theii 
use  will  be  found  in  formulas,  Nos.  5,  6,  169,  etc. 

DISINFECTANTS  AND   DEODORIZERS. 

These  have  been  fully  considered  on  previous  pages,  28,  29,  421. 
DITJRETICS  AND  DIAPHORETICS. 

Diuretics  increase  the  action  of  the  kidneys,  and  consequently  the 
amount  of  urine  ;  diaphoretics  act  on  the  skin,  and  augment  the  amount 
of  perspiration.  They  are  allied  in  character  and  use,  being  employed 
to  relieve  the  pressure  on  other  organs  of  secretion,  and  diminish  fever- 
ishness.  Horses  sweat  more  readily  than  cattle,  and  are  more  easily 
acted  upon  by  sweating  medicines.  The  principal  drugs  of  this  class 
are — 

Nitrate  of  potash  (nitre), 

Bitartrate  of  potash  (cream  of  tartar), 

Turpentine, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  '  Diuretics. 

Digitalis, 

Cantharides, 


Classified  List  of  Drugs.  509 


Solution  of  acetate  of  ammonia 
Ipecacuanha  (small  doses), 
Dover's  powder, 
Tartar  emetic, 


.  Diaphoretics. 


"Warm  water  is  an  efficient  agent  for  both  purposes. 

When  any  of  the  above  are  given,  and  the  animal  covered  with  cloths 
and  kept  in  a  temperature  of  70°,  the  action  will  be  mainly  on  the  skin ; 
but  when  uncovered  and  exposed  to  a  lower  temperature,  the  action 
will  be  on  the  kidneys.  A  cheap  and  effectual  diuretic  ball  for  a  horse 
is — 

No.  492.  Nitre, 
Resin, 
Soft  soap,  of  each  ^  oz. 

Three-fourths  of  an  ounce  of  each  of  these,  dissolved  in  a  quart  of 
water,  is  a  diuretic  drench  for  a  cow. 

For  other  examples  of  medicines  of  this  class,  see  Nos.  163  164,  166. 

EMETICS  AND  EXPECTOEANTS. 

Emetics  are  given  to  produce  vomiting  ;  expectorants  to  loosen  mucus 
in  the  breathing  tubes,  and  facilitate  its  expulsion.  The  horse,  cattle  and 
sheep  cannot  vomit,  therefore  emetics  have  no  place  in  their  treatment ; 
and  expectorants  have  very  little  effect  on  them.  The  best  formulas  will 
be  found  in  Nos.    50,  51,  57,  68,  321. 

KAECOTICS,  ANODYITES  AND  SEDATIVES. 

These  are  employed  to  allay  pain,  soothe  irritability,  and  quiet  exces- 
sive nervous  action.  The  most  valuable  narcotics  in  veterinary  pharmacy 
ftre — 

Opium  (including  laudanum  and  morjjhia), 
Belladonna. 

Each  of  these  has  innumerable  applications,  and  they  must  be  regarded 
as  about  the  most  valuable  drugs  to  the  veterinarians.  Their  many  uses 
will  be  seen  by  consulting  the  formulas  referred  to  in  the  premium  list. 

In  the  class  of  sedatives  whose  action  is  to  lower  nervous  force,  the 
principal  are  — 

Aconite, 

Veratrum  viride.  • 

These  are  very  largely  used  by  many  practitioners  to  reduce  the  pulse 
and  abate  the  febrile  symptoms,  at  the  outset  of  acute  inflammations. 
They  have  been  referred  to  in  formulas  given  in  the  foregoing  list. 


510  Classified  List  of  Drugs, 

PURGATIVES  OR  CATHARTICS. 

TKese  are  designed  to  bring  about  evacuation  of  the  bowels.     They 
are  an  exceedingly  valuable  class  of  remedies.    The  principal  ones  are — 
Aloes, 

Salts  (Epsom,  Glauber  and  common  salt), 
Oils  (linseed,  castor,  Croton). 
Ahes  are  especially  useful  in  horses  ;  the  salts  and  the  oils,  in  cattle 
and  sheep.     The  rules  for  their  administration  and  formulas  for  their 
proper  combination  will  be  found  in  the  alphabetical  list. 

STIMULANTS. 

These  are  intended  to  give  prompt  assistance  in  an  exhausted  condi- 
tion. The  strength  they  confer  is  not  lasting,  therefore  too  much  re- 
liance should  not  be  placed  upon  them.  But  in  many  emergencies  they 
are  invaluable,  and  save  life  when  nothing  else  will.  The  main  ones 
are — 

Alcohol.     ("WTiisky,  brandy,  gin,  wine,  ale,  etc.) 

Ether. 

Carbonate  of  ammonia. 

Turpentine. 

Ginger. 
Where  there  is  active  inflammation  or  high  fever,  stimulants  should 
be  withheld  ;  but  in  wearing  chronic  disease  and  in  crises  of  profound 
nervous  exhaustion,  they  can  be  administered  with  advantage. 

TONICS. 

These  are  intended  to  sharpen  the  appetite,  and  increase  the  nervous 
vigor,  and  thus  impro^ve  the  health  generally.  They  should  not  be  given 
to  already  healthy  animals,  as  they  are  not  beneficial ;  nor  should  they 
be  continued  for  too  long  a  period,  as  they  lose  their  effect.  Small  doses 
should  be  given  at  regular  intervals,  for  one  or  two  weeks,  and  then 
should  be  suspended  for  a  few  days,  or  another  tonic  substituted.  They 
are  either  of  animal,  vegetable  or  mineral  origin,  as 

Sulphate  of  iron.     (Copperas.) 

Sulphate  of  copper.     (Blue  vitriol.) 

Arsenic. 

Vegetable  bitters.    (Peruvian  bark,  gentian,  quassia,  etc.) 

Alcohol. 

Cod-liver  oil. 
As  the  mineral  tonics  are  generally  nxore  active  than  those  from  the 
vegetable  conditions,   they  are  generally  prescribed  for  horses  and 
cattle ;  or  the  two  forms  are  combined. 


INDEX. 


J6®*  Drugs  and  medicines  are  not  Included  In  this  Index,  but  should  be  look«/d 
for  in  the  Alphabetical  list  on  page  488  ;  and  Poisons  in  the  list  on  page  480. 


PAGE. 

Abortion,  in  cows, 

.     315 

Absorbent  vessels,  inflammation  of  the 

.     156 

Adenitis,  specific,  of  horses, 

.     181 

Afterbirth,  when  retained  in  cows,    , 

.     323 

Ague  cake,  in  cattle,          .... 

.     283 

in  swine,          .... 

.     407 

Albugo  or  eye  spot, 

.     251 

Amputation  of  the  foot,     .... 

.     309 

Anaemia  of  cattle,.              .... 

.     289 

Anaesthetics,  how  to  administer, 

41,  61 

Anatomy  of  the  horse,       .... 

84,  85 

Aneurism,  in  horses,          .... 

.     155 

Anthrax  j  in  cattle,  276  ;  in  swine,    , 

.     390 

fever, 

.     278 

Apoplexy,  in  horses,          .... 

.       90 

parturient,  in  cows,  . 

.     829 

splenic,  in  sheep,  344  ;  in  swine, 

.     403 

Arteries,  enlargement  of,  ^ 

Ascites,  in  the  horse,         .         •         •         * 

.     155 

.     186 

Asthma,  in  horses,    .►..., 
Azoturia,  in  horses, 

.     119 

.     165 

.B. 

Balling  iron,  form  of,        ...         . 

.      40 

Balls,  how  to  give, 

.       39 

Barbs  and  Paps,  in  horses,         .         .         .         , 

.     125 

Barrenness,  in  cows, 

.     312 

Bastard  strangles,  in  colts,        .         .         .         . 

.     182 

Black  leg,  or  black  quarter,  in  cattle. 

.     276 

tongue, 

.     277 

water  in  horses,       .        .        .        .        , 

.     165 

in  cattle, 

.     300 

Bladder,  inflamed,  in  horsea,    .         .        .        . 

.     160 

stone  in  the,  in  horses,  161 ;  in  sheep 

,        .     861 

worm,  the,  in  sheep,  .         •         .         . 

.     371 

511 

512 


Index, 


Blain,  in  cattle,         •        • 
Blast,  the,  in  sheep,  .         • 
Bleeding,  rules  for,    . 
Blood  spavin,  in  horses,     . 
Bloody  flux,  in  horses,  143  ;  in  cattle 
murrain  the,  . 
urine,  in  cattle,     . 
Blistering,  directions  for,  . 
Blown  the,  in  cattle,  291 ;  in  sheep 
Blue  disease  the,  in  swine, 

nose,  in  swine, . 
Bog  spavin,  in  horses, 
Bone  spavin,     ,         ,         , 

rotten,. 
Bones,  inflammation  of,    , 
Bots  the,  in  horses,  160  ;  in  sheep. 
Bowels,  inflammation  of,  in  horses, 

_  obstruction  of,  in  cattle. 
Brain,  inflammation  of,  in  the  horse 

hydatid  of  the,  in  sheep, 
Braxy,  in  sheep. 
Breaking  down,  in  horses. 
Broken  knees,  in  horses,  , 

^  wind,  in  horses, 
Brushing,  in  horses,  . 
Burns  and  scalds, 
Burst,  or  hernia, 
Bustian  foul,  in  cattle, 


Caked  bag,  in  cows,  . 
Calking,  in  horses,    . 
Calving,  management  of,  . 
Canker  of  the  feet,  in  horses. 
Capillary  bronchitis,  in  cattle. 
Capped  hock,    . 
Caries  of  bone,  . 
Cataract,  how  to  examine  for, 
Catarrh,  in  horses,    . 

in  cattle,       ,        . 

in  sheep, 

in  swine,  .  , 
Catarrhal  fever,  in  horses, 
Cattle  plague,  the,     . 

powders,  ingredients  of, 
Cautery,  the,  method  of  using,  . 
Cerebro-spinal  meningitis,  in  horses 
Charbon,  in  the  horse,       • 
in  cattle,     . 
in  sheep,     ,         , 
in  swine,    •        , 


27'; 


PAGB. 

,  278 
353 

62 
218 
302 
279 
300 

69 
353 
393 
404 
218 
219 
239 
215 
374 
140 
297 

87 
371 
343 
235 
233 
119 
233 
242 
244 
306 


fc  333 

.  233 

318,  330 

.  202 

.  265 

.  222 

.  239 

.  250 

102,  105 

.  285 

.  351 

.  400 

.  109 

.  268 

.  476 

.  65 

.  85 

.  176 

.  276 

.  343 

.  390 


Index, 


513 


PAGE 

Charges,  how  prepared, 66 

Chickens,  diseases  of, 

.     426 

cholera  of, 

428,  464 

lice  on. 

.432 

Choking,  how  to  treat, 

.     245 

Cholera,  hog,  so-called, 

.     389 

of  fowls. 

.     428 

Clipping,  as  conducive  to  health, 

.       32 

Cold  in  the  head,  in  horses. 

.     102 

in  cattle. 

.     285 

chest,  in  horses. 

.     105 

Colic,  in  horses. 

.     131,  134 

in  calves. 

.     338 

in  sheep, 

.     353 

in  dogs. 

.     416 

Colt  distemper, 

.     181 

Condimental  food,     . 

.     476 

Condition  powders,   . 

.     470 

Conjunctivitis,    .      '   . 

.     249 

Constipation,  in  horses,     . 

.     136 

in  dogs. 

.     417 

Consumption,  in  cattle,     . 

.     287 

in  dogs. 

.     416 

Convulsive  diseases,  in  horses. 

.         .       90 

Cords,  the,  in  cattle. 

.     297 

Corns,  in  horses, 

.     201 

Costiveness,  in  horses. 

.     136 

in  lambs. 

.     368 

in  dogs. 

.     417 

Cough,  chronic,  in  horses, 

105,  107 

in  cows  and  cattle. 

.     286 

Coughs  and  colds,  in  swine, 

.     404 

Cowpox,  the,     .... 

.     284 

Cows,  diseases  of. 

.     313 

best  breeds,     . 

.     435 

how  to  choose, 

.     446 

management  of. 

450,  457 

Cracked  heel,  in  horses, 

211,  241 

Cradles,  for  horses,   . 

.       35 

Cramp  colic,  in  dogs, 

.     417 

Cribbing,  or  crib  biting. 

.     130 

Croup,  the,  in  calves. 

.     338 

Cud,  loss  of, 

.       77 

Curb,  in  horses. 

.     236 

T). 

Diabetes,  in  horses, 164 

Diarrhoea,  in  horses  and  cattle. 

.     137 

in  calves. 

.     336 

in  lambs, 

.     368 

in  swine,  . 

, 

.     406 

in  dogs,    . 

. 

.     418 

in  fowls,  . 

.    , 

.     427 

514 


Index. 


PAGE 

Diets,  for  sick  animala, 36 

for  fattening  stock. 

•     '*JJ 

Disease,  signs  of,       .       ' . 

.        .77 

Disinfectant  mixture, 

.     429 

Disinfection,  rules  and  receipts  for, 

28.  429,  473 

Distemper,  the.  in  colts,    . 

.         .181 

in  sheep,  . 

.     351 

in  dogs,    . 

.     420 

Dogs,  diseases  of. 

.     415 

Drenches,  rules  for  giving  to  horses, 

.       47 

to  cattle. 

.       49 

Dropping  the  calf,     ... 

.     315 

Dropsy,  in  the  horse. 

.     186 

wind,  in  the  sheep. 

.     353 

Dysentery,  in  horses. 

.     143 

in  cattle, . 

.     302 

in  dogs,    . 

.     418 

Dvapepsia,  in  horses. 

.     128 

"Fl. 

Ear.  canker  of.  in  dogs 423 

Eczema,  of  the  heels,  in  horses. 

.     212 

contagious,  in  cattle.  . 

.     274 

Elbow  lameness  or  elbow  sprain, 

.     234 

Enteric  fever,  of  cattle,     . 

.     263 

Enteritis,  in  the  horse, 

.     140 

Epilepsy,- in  horses, 

.       90 

Epizootic,  the.  in  horses,  . 

.     109 

Epizootic  aphthae,  in  cattle. ^ 

274 

Epizootic  catarrh,  in  sheep. 

.     351 

in  swine, 

400 

Erysipelas,  in  horses, 

185 

Erythema  of  the  heels,  in  horses. 

211 

Ewes,  milk  fever  in,           . 

363 

garget  in,         .... 

364 

Eye  spot 

251 

Eyes,  inflammation  of  the. 

248 

how  to  examine. 

250 

inflamed,  in  dogs,    . 

424 

Falling  sickness,  in  horses, 

False  quarter,  in  horses,    . 

Farcy,  in  the  horse,  . 

Fardelbound,  in  cattle, 

Feathers,  loss  of,  in  fowls, 

Felon,  in  cattle, 

Fibro-chondritis  of  the  hoof,  in  horses. 

Firing,  rules  for  performing, 

Fiatula  of  the  coronet,  in  horses,       • 


90 
206 
174 
293 
432 
306 
207 

64 
207 


bV. 


Fii.  ;. 

Fii..  -^       ' 

Id- 

Fo:. 

yntE  of^ 

rtn        —  -  .      . 
Foul  ci^w.  or  imai  imh.  in  cbsa. 
.       .    ,  ir  siifjeT.. 

X  rrnnaer.  in  iiorsefe,. 
FcviL.  disease*  of. 
ciiDi-erfe  of. 
Frog,  diseifcset  afa*fc.  in  r   - 
Fr:>siiinfc.  . 
Frnai-  in  iiarseE. 


V 

Tvr. 


-  W' 

.  4is; 

.  I&4 

.  2!S 

.  » 

.  dOfi 

.  236 

.  274 

.  SO? 

•  d6C> 

.  2.^ 

.  lit 

.  42* 

.  2f»(' 


G-. 


in 


in:iiain&. 
L  iorses- 


-  m  finsep. 


2» 
2(4 

n 


^  fhgt*:. 


IS 

2iC 


^grm^icm.  in  horaeE 
in  fltteei>. 


514 


Index, 


Diets,  for  sick  animals, 

for  fattening  stock, 
Disease,  signs  of,       . 
Disinfectant  mixture. 
Disinfection,  rules  and  receipts  for, 
Distemper,  the,  in  colts,    . 
in  sheep,  . 
in  dogs,    . 
Dogs,  diseases  of,      . 
Drenches,  rules  for  giving  to  horses, 
to  cattle, 
Dropping  the  calf,     . 
Dropsy,  in  the  horse, 

wind,  in  the  sheep. 
Dysentery,  in  horses, 
in  cattle, . 
in  dogs,    .         . 
Dyspepsia,  in  horses, 

E. 

Ear,  canker  of,  in  dogs,    . 
Eczema,  of  the  heels,  in  horses, 
contagious,  in  cattle,  . 
Elbow  lameness  or  elbow  sprain, 
Enteric  fever,  of  cattle, 
Enteritis,  in  the  horse, 
Epilepsy,..in  horses, 
Epizootic,  the,  in  horses,  . 
Epizootic  aphthae,  in  cattle. 
Epizootic  catarrh,  in  sheep, 
in  swine, 
Erysipelas,  in  horses, 
Erythema  of  the  heels,  in  horses, 
Ewes,  milk  fever  in, 

garget  in, 
Eye  spot,  .... 
Eyes,  inflammation  of  the, 

how  to  examine, 

inflamed,  in  dogs,    . 


IF 

Falling  sickness,  in  horses, 

False  quarter,  in  horses,    . 

Farcy,  in  the  horse,  . 

Fardelbound,  in  cattle. 

Feathers,  loss  of,  in  fowls. 

Felon,  in  cattle, 

Fibro-chondritis  of  the  hoof,  in  horses. 

Firing,  rules  for  performing. 

Fistula  of  the  coronet,  in  horses,       • 


28 


PAGE 

.  36 

.  477 

.  77 

.  429 
,  429,  473 

.  181 

.  351 

.  420 

.  415 

.  47 

.  49 

.  315 

.  186 

.  353 

.  143 

,  302 

.  418 

.  128 


423 
212 
274 
234 
263 
140 
90 
109 
274 
351 
400 
185 
211 
363 
364 
251 
248 
250 
424 


90 
206 
174 
293 
432 
306 
207 

64 
207 


Index, 


517 


Inflammation  of  eyes,  in  dogs, 
Inflammatory  fever,  of  cattle,    . 

colic,  in  dogs. 
Influenza,  the,  in  horses,  . 
Iiijections,  rectal,  rules  for  giving, 
into  the  nose,  . 
into  the  veins. 
Intestinal  fever,  of  swine. 
Interfering,         .... 
Issues,  how  to  make, 
Itch,  the,  in  sheep,    . 
in  hogs, 


PAGE 

424 

278 

417 

109 

43 

53 

45 

330 

232 

71 

383 

412 


Jaundice,  in  the  horse, 

in  cattle,    .         .         .         . 
Jersey  cows,      .         .         . 
Jugular  vein,  inflammation  of. 

Kidneys,  inflammation  of,  in  horses, 

Kidney  worms,  in  hogs,     . 

Knees,  broken,  .         .         .         . 


146 
299 
441 
156 


159 
410 
233 


Lakeburn,  in  cattle,  . 
Lambing,  in  the  ewe. 
Lambs,  rheumatism  in, 
constipation  in, 
diarrhoea  in, 
Lameness,  signs  of,  in  the  horse, 

elbow, 
Laminitis,  in  the  horse, 
Lampas,  in  horses,    . 
Lard  worms,  in  hogs. 
Laryngitis,  in  horses. 
Leg  weakness,  in  fowls, 
Leprosy,  the,  of  hogs. 
Lice,  on  horses, 

on  cattle, 

on  hogs,  . 

on  dogs,  . 

on  fowls. 
Liver,  congestion  and  inflammation  of, 

flukes  in  the,  in  sheep,    . 
Live  stock,  sanitary  management  of. 
Lockjaw,  in  horses,  .... 


in  the  horse, 
in  cattle, 


.  293 
.  362 
.  365 
.  368 
.  368 
192,  196 
.  234 
.  197 
.  124 
.  410 
.  112 
.  432 
.  408 
.  260 
.  310 
.  413 
.  425 
.  432 
146 
298 
379 
457 
96 


618 


Index, 


Louping  ill,  in  sheep, 
Lumbago,  in  cattle,  . 
Lung  fever,  in  horses, 
in  cattle, 
in  swine, 
worms,  in  lambs, 
Lymphangitis,  in  horses, 


1^ 

Malignant  pustule,     . 
sore  throat, 
Mallenders  and  sallenders,  the, 
Mammitis,  in  cows  (See  Garget 
Mange,  the,  on  horses, 
in  sheep, 
in  hogs, 
in  dogs, 
Mawbound,  in  cattle, 
Mayhew's  mixture,  for  dogs, 

ointment,  for  dogs. 
Measles,  in  hogs, 
Megrims,  in  horses,  . 
Metritis,  in  cows. 
Milk,  management  of,  in  cows 

to  bring  on  or  increase, 

to  correct  blue  and  bloody 

fever,  in  cows, 

in  ewes,    . 

in  cattle, 
Milking,  the  art  of,  _  . 
Milt  swelling,  in  swine. 
Moon  blindness. 
Mud  fever,  in  horses, 
Murrain,  in  cattle,     . 
Myositis,  symptoms  of,  in  horses, 

liT. 

Nasal  gleet,  in  horses. 
Navicular  disease,  in  horses,     . 
Necrosis  and  caries  of  bone. 
Nettle  rash,  in  the  horse. 
Nose,  running  from,  in  horses, 
the  blue,  in  swine,  . 


PAGE 

349 
307 
113 
270 
404 
375 
156 


.  276 
277,  395 

.  256 

.  333 

.  258 

.  383 

.  412 

.  422 

.  293 

.  419 

.  419 

.  411 

.  91 

.  329 

.  327 

.  328 

.  328 

.  329 

.  363 

.  304 

!  407 

.  249 

.  211 

.  276 

.  199 


103 

209 
239 
254 
103 
404 


Ophthalmia,  periodic, 
Ostitis,  in  horses. 
Overreach, 


249 
215 
232 


Index. 


519 


Ovination,  how  performed, 
Oxen,  feeding  and  management, 


PAGE 

349 
461 


Pale  disease,  the,  in  lambs. 

Palpitation,  in  horses, 

Palsy.     (See  Paralysis.) 

Paper  skin,  the,  in  lambs, 

Paralysis,  in  horses. 

Parturient  apoplexy, 

fever,  in  cows, 

Parturition,  in  cows, 

Pelt  rot,  the,  in  lambs,      . 

Periodic  ophthalmia. 

Periostitis,  in  horses, 

Pharyngitis,  in  horses, 

Phlebitis,  in  horses, 

Phrenitis,  in  the  horse, 

Phthisis,  in  cattle,      . 

Pink  eye,  in  horses, 

Pining,  in  cattle, 

Plethora,  in  animals, 

Pleurisy,  in  horses,    . 

Pleuro-pneuraonia,  the,  in  cattle 

Pneumonia,  in  horses, 
in  cattle, 

Pneumo  enteritis,  contagious 

Poisons  and  antidotes. 

Poll  evil,  the,    . 

Positions  of  the  calf. 

Poultices,  how  made. 

Pregnancy,  length  of,  in  animals 

Probang,  directions  for  using 

Puerperal  fever,  in  cows, 

Pulse,  the,  in  animals 

Pumiced  foot,    . 

Purples,  the,  in  swine. 

Purpura  hemorrhagica,  in  the  horse, 


Quarter  ill,  in  cattle, 
Quidding,  in  horses,  , 
Quinsy,  in  swine, 
Quittor,  in  horses,     . 


Q/. 


I?/. 


Red  soldier,  the,  in  swine, 
water,  in  cattle,  . 
in  sheep. 
Reproductive  acts,  the,  in  animals, 


375 
152 

375 

95 
329 
329 
318 
375 
249 
215 
112 
156 
87 
287 
109 
287 
471 
116 
270 
113 
265 
393 
479 
237 
320 
46 
26 
246 
329 
72 
198 
393 
175 


276 
126 
404 


393 

300 

354 

26 


520 


Index, 


PAGE 

Retained  afterbirth,  in  cows, ,S23 

Rheumatism,  in  the  horse, 

.     178 

in  cattle. 

.     306 

in  lambs,      . 

.     365 

Rinderpest,  the. 

.     268 

Ring  bones,  in  horses, 

.     217 

worm,  in  horses. 

.     252 

Rising  of  the  lights,  in  swine, 

.     405 

Roaring,  in  horses,    . 

.     120 

Rot,  the,  in  sheep,     . 

.     379 

Rowels,  how  to  insert. 

71 

Rupture,  in  horses,   . 

.     244 

S. 

St.  Anthony's  fire, .185 

in  sheep, 

.     348 

St.  Vitus'  dance, 

.       90 

Sallenders,  the,  in  horses. 

.     256 

Sandcrack  of  the  hoof, 

.     205 

Scab,  the,  in  sheep,  . 

.     383 

in  hogs,     . 

.     412 

Scouring,  in  horses,  . 

.     187 

in  calves,   . 

.     386 

in  lambs,   . 

.     368 

rot,  the,  in  cattle. 

.     302 

Scratches,  the,  in  the  horse. 

.     211 

Scrofula,  in  the  lower  animals, 

.     265 

Seedy  toe,  in  horses. 

.     199 

Setons,  how  to  insert, 

.       63 

Sheath,  diseases  of,  in  horses,  . 

.     167 

Sheep  distemper, 

.     851 

pox,         .... 

.     847 

Shoote,  the,  in  calves, 

.     838 

Short  horn  cows. 

.     437 

Shot  of  grease,  in  horses. 

.     156 

Shoulder  lameness,  meaning  of, 

.     230 

slip,  in  the  horse, 

.     281 

Sick  animals,  attention  to. 

.       31 

Sick  dogs,  how  to  treat,     . 

.     416 

Sidebones,  in  the  horse,     . 

.     222 

Sitfasts,  on  horses,     . 

.     257 

Sleepy  staggers,  in  horses. 
Slings  for  horses,  how  made,     . 

.     129 

.       34 

Slinking,  in  cows. 

.     315 

Smallpox,  in  cows,    . 

.     284 

in  sheep,  . 

.     347 

Snores  or  snivels,  in  cattle. 

.     285 

Sore  shins,  in  horses, 

.     215 

throat  in  horses. 

.     112 

malignant  or  putrid,  in  cattle. 

.     277 

in  s 

wme. 

. 

.     395 

Index, 


521 


PAGE 

Spanish  fever,  the, 

.     281,  400 

Spavin,  bog, 

.     218 

blood, 

.     218 

bone, 

.     219 

Special  diet  preparations. 

.       36 

Speedy  cut,  a, 

.     233 

Splenic  apoplexy,  in  sheep. 

.     344 

fever,  the,  of  cattle, 

.     288 

of  hogs, 

.      390,  407 

Splints,  in  horses, 

.     216 

Spotted  fever,  in  the  horse. 

.     175 

Sprains  or  strains, 

.     228 

of  the  back  sinew. 

.     232 

of  the  suspensory  ligament. 

.     235 

Stabling  of  sick  animals,    ..... 

.       27 

Staggers,  blind  or  mad,  in  horses,     . 

.       87 

sleepy,  in  horses, 

.     129 

stomach,  in  cattle, 

.     293 

in  swine. 

.     403 

Staleing,  painful,  in  horses, 

.     162 

profuse,       

.     164 

Stall-feeding  cattle, 

.     454 

Staring  coat, 

.       75 

Stings  and  bites, 

.     243 

Stomach  staggers, 

.      129,  293 

Stone  in  the  bladder,  in  horses. 

.     161 

in  sheep. 

.     361 

Stopping,  for  the  feet,        .... 

.       32 

Strains,  of  the  shoulder  and  leg  of  the  horse, 

.     230 

Strangles,  in  the  horse,     .... 

.     181 

in  swine 

.     405 

Strangury,  in  horses,          .... 

.     162 

Striking  of  the  blood,  in  sheep, 

.     343 

Stringhalt,  in  horses,           .... 

.       90 

Sturdy,  the,  in  sheep,         .         .         .         . 

.     371 

Sunstroke,  in  horses,          .... 

.       93 

Superpurgation,  treatment  of,    . 

.     138 

Suppositories,  how  made  and  given. 

.       43 

Surfeit,  in  horses,      .         .         .         .         • 

.     254 

Surgical  instruments,  veterinary. 

.       59 

Suspensory  ligament,  strain  of,          .         .         . 

.     234 

Sutures,  how  to  insert, 

.       66 

Sweeny,  in  the  horse,         ....      22 

8,  231,  232 

Swine,  diseases  of, 

.     388 

rules  for  feeding, 

.     462 

Swiss  cattle, 

.     445 

Swollen  belly,  in  horses, 

.     134 

Syphilis,  in  horses, 

.     167 

T. 

Tapeworm,  in  sheep  and  dogs, 

.     371 

in  hogs, 

.     412 

522 


Index, 


PAGE 

Teeth,  operations  on  the, 67 

decayed,  in  horses, 

.     126 

Temperature,  the,  of  animals, 

.       76 

Tetanus,  in  horses,    . 

.       96 

Tetter,  moist,  in  horses,    . 

.     254 

Texas  cattle  disease, 

\     2i 

51,  400 

Thick  leg,  in  horses. 

.     158 

wind,  in  horses. 

.     120 

Thoroughpin,  in  the  horse, 

.     221 

Thorter  ill,  in  sheep, 

.     349 

Thrush  of  the  frog,  in  horses, 

.     202 

Thumps,  the,  in  horses,     . 

Ticks,  on  cattle, 

'.     310 

Tinea,  or  ringworm, 

.     252 

Tooth  cough,  in  horses,     . 

.     127 

Tracheotomy,  how  to  perform, 

.     183 

Tread,  a,  in  horses,   . 

.     233 

Trembles,  the,  in  cattle,    . 

304 

Trevis,  how  to  construct,  . 

61 

Trichina  or  trichinosis,  in  swine 

) 

409 

Trocar  described, 

53 

Tuberculous  disease,  in  cattle,  . 

287 

Turnsick,  in  sheep,    . 

371 

Tympany  or  tympanites,  in  horses, 

134 

TJ. 

Udder,  inflammation  of  the,  in  cows,        .         .         .333 

in  ewes, 

.     384 

Urine,  retention  or  suppression  of,  in  horses 
bloody,  in  cattle,    .... 

.     162 

.     300 

in  sheep,    .... 

.     354 

■V. 

Vagina,  diseases  of,  in  mares, 170 

Variola,  of  cows,       .... 

284 

of  sheep,      .... 

247 

Ventilation,  of  stables, 

28 

Vertigo,  in  horses,     .... 

91 

Veterinary  pocket  case. 

59 

Vives,  in  horses,        .... 

125 

•W. 

Warbles,  in  horses, 257 

Weed,  the,  in  horses, 

.     156 

Weights  and  measures, 

.       67 

Whistling,  in  horses. 

.     120 

White  bristle,  in  hogs. 

.     390 

scour,  in  lambs. 

.     370 

skin,  the,  in  lambs, 

. 

376 

Index, 


523 


Wind  dropsy,  In  sheep,     . 

galls,        .... 
sucking,  .... 
colic,  in  dogs, 
Wolf  teeth,  as  a  cause  of  blindness, 
Womb,  inversion  of,  in  cows,    . 

'  inflammation  of,  in  cows, 

Worms,  intestinal,  in  horses,     . 
in  sheep, 
kidney  and  lard,  in  hogs. 
Wounds,  general  treatment  of,  . 
of  the  feet, 
of  the  knees,       . 
Wound  fever,     . 


PAGE 
353 
235 
130 
417 
251 
323 
329 
148 
382 
410 
224 
204 
233 
226 


Yard,  diseases  of  the, jgg 

Yellows,  the,  in  horses,     ...!,'!     146 
in  cattle, 298 


This  is  the  best  book  of  the  kind  wc  bave  yet  seen,  from  either  tlie  Euglibli  or  American 
press." — Live  Stock  Journal  and  Fancier''8  Gazette,  London. 


Of  Eminent  Veterinary  Surgeons,  Distinguished  Physicians, 
the  Medical  Press,  Leading  Agricultural  Journals,  ancJ 
others,  to  the  merit  of 

THE  DISEASES  OE  LIVE  STOCK. 


BY  W.  B.  E.  MILLER,  D.V.S., 

One  of  the  Veterinarians  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry,  Department  Agriculture,  WashingloVj 

D.  C;  Chief  Veterinary  Surgeon  of  the  New  Jersey  State  Board  of  Health  ; 

President  of  the  United  States  Veterinary  Associatioti, 

AND    LLOYD  V.  TELLOR,  M.D. 


From  FlNLAT  Dun,  Lecturer  on  Materia  Medica  at  the  Edinburgh  Veterinary  College,  Scotland, 

author  of  "Veterinary  Medicine,^''  etc. 

"I  have  had  much  pleasure  in  examining  Drs.  Miller  and  Teller's  volume,  and  believe 
that  it  vk'ill  prove  of  much  value  to  agriculturists  and  amateurs,  as  well  as  to  veterinarians. 
In  terse  and  readable  language,  it  treats  of  a  large  number  of  veterinary  subjects,  and 
contains  a  great  amount  of  useful  practical  information  on  the  diseases  of  live  stock." 

From  Jos.  TivsmAhV , Veterinary  Surgeon,  V.  S.  A. 

"The  treatment  of  the  diseases  of  live  stock  recommended  in  Drs.  Miller  and  Tellor'e 
book  is  humane,  simple  and  scientific.  I  think  it  will  prove  a  valuable  book  to  every 
stock  owner." 

From  CoL.  James  Moore,  Quartermaster,  U.  S.  A.,  Washington,  D.  G. 

"I  have  carefully  perused  the  book  entitled  'The  Diseases  of  Live  Stock,  and  their  Jlost 
Efficient  Remedies,  including  Horses,  Cattle,  Sheep  and  Swine,'  by  Drs.  Miller  and  Tellor, 
and  have  no  hesitancy  in  pronouncing  it  the  very  best  work  on  the  subject  that  has  come 
under  my  observation. 

"The  book  is  fi-ee  from  the  technicalities  usually  found  in  similar  works,  and  can  be 
profitably  studied  by  those  who  are  not  acquainted  with  the  anatomy  and  physiology  of  the 
four  species  of  animals  therein  treated. 

"The  forms  of  medicines,  and  methods  of  their  administration  ;  the  signs  and  symptoms 
of  diseases  and  manner  of  treatment,  are  scientifically  exact  and  simple ;  the  diagnosis 
perfect,  and  the  medical  cure  recommended  the  result  of  jiractical  (!Xperience  in  a  rural 
l<icality,  and  studied  research  among  the  best  and  latest  veterinary  experts  of  England  and 
our  own  country. 

"  To  the  owner  of  a  horse  this  book  cannot  be  too  highly  commended.  Especial  attention 
is  paid  to  the  treatment  of  the  diseases  incident  to  this  animal,  and  the  removal  of  what- 
ever would  impair  his  powers.  The  article  on  diseases  of  the  foot  of  the  horse  is  alone 
worth  the  price  of  the  book. 

"It  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  owner  of  live  stock,  be  he  pour  or  rich,  farmer, 
ranche  man  or  city  gentleman." 

1 


From  Col.  A.  F.  Eockwkll,  As&t  Qiiurlermasler,  l'.  S.  A. 

"I  have  examined  Drs.  Miller  and  Tailor's  book.  It  appears  to  me  exhaustive  and 
thorough,  and  I  do  not  doubt  it  will  be  of  great  service  to  all  who  are  interested  in  stock." 

From  General  William  G.  LeDuc,  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Agriculture. 

"In  ordering  Drs.  Miller  and  Tellor's  '  Diseases  of  Live  Stock'  for  our  library,  I  desire 
to  congratulate  you  on  the  publication  of  so  excellent  and  desirable  a  manual  for  farmers, 
to  every  one  of  whom  engaged  in  raising  or  handling  live  stock  the  work  will  be  of  great 
value." 

From  PnOF.  Tiios.  Taylor,  3Ilcroscopist  to  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington. 

"I  have  a  very  high  opinion  of  Drs.  Miller  and  Tellor's  work,  and  I  cheerfully  add  my 
testimonial  to  its  exceeding  usefulness  to  every  one  in  any  way  interested  in  stock  raising 
or  owning." 

From  William  A.  Hammond,  N..D.,of  New  York  City,  Late  Surgeon  General,  U.  S.  A. 

"I  have  gone  through  Drs.  Miller  and  Tellor's  book  very  carefully,  and  regard  it  as 
admirably  adapted  for  the  use  of  those  who  are  obliged  to  treat  their  own  animals.  It  is 
eminently  practical  and  full  of  common  sense." 

From  Henry  J.  Bowditch,  m.D.,  Chairman  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Health. 
"  I  am  much  pleased  with  the  book,  and  think  it  will  do  a  great  deal  of  good." 

From  Edwin  M.  Snow,  Superintendeid  of  Health,  lihode  Island;   Chairman  of  the  State  Board 

of  Health.  * 

"There  are  some  diseases  of  domestic  animals  that  I  have  seen  much  of  and  have  in- 
vestigated with  care.  In  regard  to  these  Drs.  Miller  and  Tellor's  book  is  correct  and 
judicious.  As  a  whole,  the  book  is  well  done.  Its  language  is  plain,  and  it  will  prove 
highly  useful  to  the  public.  It  will  also  correct  some  false  and  pernicious  ideas  in  relation 
to  some  diseases  among  animals." 

From  Henry  Bergh,  Esq.,  President  of  the  American  Society  for  the  Prerention  of  Cruelty  to 

Animals. 

"  I  iim  gratified  by  the  opportunity  to  express  my  admiration  of  its  contents,  which  I 
find  so  clearly  and  naturally  uttered  that  all  who  can  read  can  understand.  It  is  a  most 
useful  and  elegant  volume." 

From  Horace  J.  Smith, T'tVe  President  of  the  Permanent  International  E.rhihition,  Philadelphia. 

"Drs.  Miller  and  Tellor's  book  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  popular  knowledge  of  a  most 
important  subject;  a  knowledge  which  is  now  imperatively  demanded.  It  is  especially 
valuable  to  the  isolated  farmer,  who  is  unable  to  call  in  skilled  attendants.  I  hail  its 
publication  as  a  forerunner  of  the  time  when  veterinary  science  will  take  its  just  rank 
alongside  of  other  sciences." 

From  the  '^Practical  Farmer""  {Phila.  Pa.) 

"  The  publication  of  this  work  is  most  opportune,  and  it  will  prove  of  great  value  tij  all 
stock  owners." 

From  the  "  Cliatauqua  {N.  Y.)  Farmer.''' 

"We  consider  Drs.  Miller  and  Tellor's  book  far  superior  to  any  we  have  up  to  this  time 
examined.  Its  arrangement  is  most  admirable.  It  is  well  qualified  to  enable  any  farmer 
to  handle  skillfully  all  his  sick  animals." 

From  the  Lancaster  '^  New  Era.''' 

"It  is  a  model  handbook,  and  one  that  every  keeper  of  domestic  animals  should  own;  it 
will  save  him  many  dollars  during  the  course  of  a  year.  The  most  approved  remedies  for 
all  the  known  diseases  are  given.  We  know  of  no  other  work  so  well  adapted  to  popular 
use  as  this." 

2 


From  the  ^^ Boston  Journal."' 

"This  is  a  very  practical  and  lulpful  treatise." 

From  (he  "  Ponllnj  Monthly,'"  Albutiy,  New   York.  / 

"This  is  an  exhaustive  treatise  on  the  diseases  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine.  It  is 
easy  of  reference,  and  will  be  highly  valned  by  every  stock  breeder." 

From  the  "  DvtcheffS  Co.  Farmer,'''  N.  Y. 

"  The  ftirmer  and  stock  man  will  find  this  a  book  to  which  he  will  refer  almost  daily. 
No  possible  case  of  disease  in  stock  seems  unprovided  for.  The  explanations  are  full  and 
the  directions  clear." 

From  the  ''Detroit  Post  and  Tribune.'^ 

"  This  work  has  many  special  features  to  recommend  it.  The  language  is  free  from 
technicalities,  and  the  descriptions  are  clear  and  accurate.  We  do  not  hesitate  to  re- 
commend it  as  covering  a  wider  field  than  any  similar  book  published,  and  it  is  better 
adapted  to  popular  use." 

From  the  "Medical  and  Surgical  Reportek,"  Philadelphia. 

"The  authors'  results  are  presented  in  direct  and  clear  terms,  addressed  to  the  ordinary 
reader,  but  exact  and  truly  exponent  of  the  latest  scientific  research." 

From  Dr.  Henry  Gibbons,    Editor  of   the  "  Pacific   Medical  and  Suryical  Journal,"'   San 

Francisco. 

"  Most  of  the  books  that  have  been  written  on  the  diseases  of  domestic  animals  have 
been  filled  with  common  notions  on  the  subject,  and  entirely  devoid  of  scientific  pathology 
and  therapeutics.  But  this  is  the  work  of  educated  and  systematic  writers.  We  esteem 
it  a  valuable  work,  and  just  what  is  needed.  Having  scanned  it  over,  we  should  not  like 
to  be  without  it." 

From  Dr.  J.  G.  Westmoreland,  Editor  of  the  "Atlanta  {G<i.)  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal. 

"  A  first-class  handbook  of  veterinary  practice,  with  every  disease  that  animals  are  sub- 
ject to  arranged  in  systematic  order,  and  treated  of  in  a  plain,  comprehensive  manner.  All 
who  deal  in  live  stock  should  have  the  work.  It  is  adapted  particularly  to  the  use  of 
farmers,  etc.,  and  all  technicalities  are  avoided." 

From  the  "New  York  Medical  Journal.'''' 

"This  work  is  written  in  plain  language,  for  the  use  of  the  farmer  and  stock  owner,  and 
the  authors  have  endeavored  to  render  it  a  safe  guide  for  practice,  according  to  the  rules  of 
the  best  veterinary  surgeons.  The  directions  seem  very  full  and  explicit,  and  the  methods 
of  treatment  are  abundantly  illustrated  wherever  illustrations  are  necessary." 

From  the  "St.  Louis  Courier  of  Medicine.''' 

"This  book  is  well  written,  well  printed  and  bound,  and  we  heartily  commend  it  to  all 
who  value  the  comfort  and  well  being  of  their  animals,  especially  those  who  are  beyond 
the  reach  of  a  good  veterinary  surgeon.  The  different  diseases  are  concisely  and  accurately 
described,  the  symptoms  being  so  clearly  defined  that  they  may  be  readily  recognized  by 
the  non-professional.  The  chapter  on  diseases  of  the  foot  and  on  lameness  is  especially 
instructive." 

From  the  "Chicago  Inter  ocean." 

"This  book  should  find  its  way  to  every  farmer  and  stock  raiser.  It  is  thoroughly  scien- 
tific, yet  universally  free  from  technicalities.  Valuable  animals  have  often  been  sacrificed, 
from  ignorance  of  tlie  facts  and  laws  here  laid  down." 

From  the  ''National  Agrwulturist  and  Working  Farmer.'''' 
"This  is  a  most  excellent  work,  full  of  valuable  material." 


From  the  "Live  StocJc  Journal  and  Fanciers'  Gazette,'"  Loiulou,  England. 

"We  have  carefully  examined  the  book  before  us,  and  can  give  it  hearty  commendation. 
It  is  the  best  book  of  the  kind  we  have  yet  seen,  from  either  the  English  or  American 
press." 
From  the  "  North  British  Agriculturist"  Edinburgh,  Scotland. 

"  Drs.  Miller  and  Teller's  popular  treatise  is  a  valuable  work.  They  have  collated  a  great 
(leal  of  information,  which  they  present  in  a  clear  and  readable  form.  Agriculturists  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  will  consult  it  with  much  advantage." 

From  the  "  Virginia  Medical  Monthly." 

"  This  work  must  become,  when  once  known,  the  popular  treatise  on  veterinary  science 
in  this  country.     It  should  be  generally  found  throughout  the  land." 

From  the  "  Chicago  Interocean." 

"This  is  a  valuable  book,  and  should  find  its  way  into  the  hands  of  every  farmer  and 
stock  raiser.  While  it  is  thoroughly  scientific  in  its  investigation  and  its  facts,  yet  it  is 
unusually  free  from  all  technicalities." 

From  the  "  North  Carolina  Medical  Journal." 

"We  advise  our  friends  in  the  country  to  put  this  volume  side  by  side,  on  their  book- 
shelves, with  Youatt,  and  soon  the  latter  would  be  but  a  shelf-keeper  alongside  their  new 
acquaintance." 

From  the  ^'Louisville  Medical  News." 

"  This  work  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  physician  and  farmer.    It  is  full  of  practical, 
useful  information." 
From  the  "  Atnerican  Medical  Bi-weekly,"  Louisville. 

"This  is  an  excellent  work,  written  in  plain  language,  and  will  prove  most  useful  to 
every  farmer  and  stock  owner.     It  is  profusely  illustrated  with  devices  and  appliances  for 
the  treatment  of  unruly  patients.     To  all  interested  in  the  subject  we  warmly  recommend 
this  book." 
From  the  "Southern  Practitioner  "  Nashville. 

"It  is  the  most  intelligently  written  work  on  this  subject  which  we  have  examined." 
From  Prof.  Lewis  A.  Sayre,  m.d.,  of  New  York  City. 

"Having  read  Drs.  Miller  and  Teller's  work  very  carefully,  I  consider  it  of  the  greatest 
possible  utility  to  the  farmer.  It  should  be  in  the  hands  of  and  carefully  studied  by  every 
breeder  of  live  stock.  It  is  a  condensed  epitome  of  all  the  more  scientific  works  on  the 
subject,  freed  from  their  technicalities,  and  thus  made  more  useful  to  the  non-professional 
reader." 

From  J.  F.  Elsom,  A.m.,  Agricidtural  Editor  of  "  Turf,  Field  and  Farm. 

"  After  a  careful  perusal  of  Drs.  Miller  and  Teller's  work,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying 
that  it  is  one  of  the  best  books  of  the  kind,  and  should  be  found  in  the  library  of  every 
one  owning  or  having  to  do  with  live  stock." 

From  the  "New  York  Medical  Record." 

"This  work  contains  an  immense  amount  of  valuable  information.  The  therapeutical 
portions  are  clear,  precise  and  simple.  It  will  furnish  an  excellent  resource  in  cases  of 
emergency." 

From  the  "  Canadian  Journal  of  Medical  Science. " 

"Drs.  Miller  and  Teller's  work  en  the  'Diseases  of  Live  Stock'  constitutes  a  notable 
example  of  a  work  which  can  be  safely  recommended  to  the  enterprising  stock  owner,  not 
only  in  sections  unsupplied  with  good  veterinary  surgeons,  but  even  in  localities  where 
they  reside." 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED    FOR   FAILURE  TO   RETURN 
THIS    BOOK   ON    THE   DATE   DUE.    THE   PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY    AND     TO     $1.00     ON     THE    SEVENTH     DAY 
OVERDUE. 

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